


Gods' of Flame

by Ordinn Beaucephalis (BoLawliet89)



Category: Fairy Tail, 炎炎ノ消防隊 | Enen no Shouboutai | Fire Brigade of Flames (Manga), 炎炎ノ消防隊 | Enen no Shouboutai | Fire Force (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Brotp Benimaru/Juvia(Susanoo), Eventual Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fire Soldier Juvia, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hatred, Her new name is fitting, Juvia is not innocent, Juvia is reincarnated as a kunoichi, Karim is secretly lewd, Meddling shinobi clan, Mind Manipulation, Moving On, Ninja Bloodlust, Possessive Karim, Protective Siblings, Reincarnation, Reincarnation but it's not Juvia Lockser, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romance, Self-Reflection, Sexual Humor, Sexual Tension, The priest is mischievious, Unresolved Sexual Tension, ninja clan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2020-12-27 18:04:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 61,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21122993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoLawliet89/pseuds/Ordinn%20Beaucephalis
Summary: Susanoo guessed that being reborn as a fire-fighter with fire powers wasn't that bad. She got to grow as her own person – no obsession over a boy. So it was even better. Juvia Lockser had lived a good life in the end, now it was her time to shine as her reincarnation. Fairylands were starting to get very boring, to be honest... [Reincarnation fic!]





	1. Woman with the leaf tattoo

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!
> 
> This is the first time I've ever thought about a Juvia Lockser reincarnated fanfic in another universe than Fairy Tail. The 'what ifs' are just that diverse and there's so any possibilities. Plus, since Enen no Shouboutai is a manga I've recently gotten addicted to (the anime is just wonderful!) and there's a lot I'd like to explore with this universe. I don't forget the Fairy Tail universe, as there will be an opportunity for me to incorporate the characters so they can finally have some closure with Juvia's reincarnation. Especially Gray. I've always wanted to see what would have happened if Juvia had indeed died and Wendy had failed to revive her...

Susanoo opened her eyes and brought her long, toned legs against her chest as she hummed. The only one that was visible was bright blue with an intricate Ying Yang-shaped pupil, seeing as the left one was covered by locks of cerulean hair. The Yang side was grey while the Ying side was pristine white. The second unique feature about her face was the blue and black leaf tattoo over her right eye, which she absolutely loved. Her hair was messed up after her heated, carnal activity with her lover. She smiled toothily at the priest in front of her, who was lounging on the side of his bed with his arms propped behind to support his head. He hadn't bothered to get barely dressed either and had merely slipped beneath his covers to partially conceal his nudity, but he wouldn't be ashamed to show himself in front of his woman after such intimate intercourses with her. Karim Flam would never. Those shoulder tattoos, those muscles... that whole body was sinful. And she loved it.

Karim blinked, then lifted a curious brow at her. “What? Didn't I make you moan my name enough these last forty minutes?” he asked blandly.

She snorted, shaking her head. Karim's crass way of talking used to get under her nerves the very few times they happened to cross paths because he certainly confused people with his words and Susanoo, who wasn't used to someone talking to her in such way, had been five seconds away to use Kali on him and reduce his rude ass to ashes. She'd let it slide after one of his friends, another priest, had apologised on his behalf and they all walked away in opposite directions. The lieutenant had come back to Asakusa a bit riled up and greatly annoyed, which had been noticeable by the blue flames dancing in her footprints left behind her. Hinata and Hikage had made fun of it before trying to cheer her up with daifuku brought back by Waka.

“I've had enough for today, thank you very much. But I'm more interested in the new rookie that has been enrolled in Company 8th two days ago,” she mused, now lifting a hand to push up the locks covering the left side of her gorgeous face. A bright golden eye with the same Ying Yang-shaped pupil crinkled in excitation. “He even has a nickname.”

“Which is?” Karim probed indifferently.

Susanoo gave him a dazzling smile. "'Devil's Footprints'. Though his real name is Kusakabe Shinra, I'm already fond of his nickname because it sounds badass and sounds much better than mine or even Waka's, and the devils know that I could be a sucker for Waka. But you already know that,” she added with a small giggle as Karim scowled at her. She slowly shifted in a more comfortable sitting position – Indian style – and crossed her arms over her chest. Her plump breasts jiggled. “I so want to meet him.”

Since Susanoo knew beforehand that Waka sure as hell wasn't going to move out of their district to even step one single toe into the 8th and see for himself why she was so interested in a new 'imperial dog of the Imperial Tokyo Empire', the lieutenant would just have to sneak there. It would be very easy, as the decrepit cathedral that served as Company 8th headquarters wouldn't be as well-guarded as the precious cathedral of Company 1st. The few members that Captain Obi had gathered as his team wouldn't be a match for her skills. Plus, she truly was interested in Kusakabe's story. Susanoo hadn't heard all the details from Captain Honda when she was sneaking into the 2nd headquarters to train with her Ignition Ability (no one ought to find out that she loved training and taking showers there because their training fields on the rooftops were just awesome!), but she'd heard bits about a tragic incident in which he'd lost his whole family. Maybe one of them turned Infernal accidentally? Kusakabe must have been young when this happened. Susanoo had felt absolutely horrible for him that day, especially if he remembered his family's painful screams as a young child. She'd gone back to her dorm in tears, almost shocking Waka who then spent a good portion of the afternoon trying to soothe her nerves by provoking her in a duel (which she'd been this close to win).

Karim shifted on a sitting position as well, his lazy dark blue eyes focused on her. “Should I feel threatened by this annoying Kusakabe brat? He already sounds annoying, getting my woman distracted by an annoying nickname,” he groaned half-heartedly. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her to him and caught her curvaceous frame in his arms. Susanoo straddled him easily and looked at him in the eye, now curious. “Since the 7th isn't keen on getting involved with the other Fire Force Companies, my guess is you've been playing ninja at the 2nd and you're now planning to sneak into the 8th to meet this Kusakabe brat.”

“Hmm-hmm,” Susanoo nodded with a small smile, looping her arms round his neck.

“And your bum of a captain won't even throw a fit at his second lieutenant wandering out of Asakusa to go play spy? He was already annoyed when he found out that you were in a relationship with me, so how about that brat rookie from the 8th?”

She chortled in amusement and stole a brief, deep kiss. Though listening to Karim complain about her captain was fun most of the time, she couldn't help but preen at how protective and possessive he was underneath his permanently irritated devil-may-care attitude, which was almost similar to Waka's. Frost is secretly jealous of Benimaru? Cute, Susanoo thought before leaning her forehead against his and cupping his cheeks. Karim grudgingly looked up at her with a scowl.

“Is that an implied plead to make me stay in your bed all day? Oh, Karim!” she laughed softly as the priest turned away from her with an annoyed scowl and a snarl, with the faintest blush on his cheeks. Susanoo kissed his jaw sweetly, eyes crinkling. “All right, all right, don't pout now, I hate it whenever you're in a foul mood because of Rekka's boisterous and reckless nature or something else. Besides, Waka has no say in my life, no more than I have any in his. He'd just ask me questions about my interest in the rookie at the 8th, no big deal. It's not like he really cares about anyone else outside of our district, so why worry about my captain?”

Karim gave her a sidelong, flat glance. “Because I'm a priest who is in a relationship with probably the only person he cares about the most in this organisation? Or is it because you're the only person he cares about the most and I'm a priest whom you're in a relationship with? Either way, I despise him and his nature,” he drawled, tightening his arm around her slender waist. “He constantly spits at the rules put in place by the emperor, shows disrespect towards the Holy Sol, the Emperor and does whatever the hell he wants. Shinmon is the epitome of the devil-may-care persona I absolutely cannot stand. Just how in the world did you end up in the 7th when you could have had—hmpf?”

Karim stopped right there and narrowed his eyes at Susanoo, who'd pressed her hands ob his cheeks to stop him in his tracks. The woman also had a matching expression on her face, which held none of the previous mirth, elation and pleasure he'd admired and would always relish in whenever they'd make love. Almost instantly, the pleasant atmosphere dropped to a chilling one where the two lieutenants looked close to arguing; Karim had never seen Susano ofight hand-to-hand against another Fire Soldier during trainings, but he'd heard about her prowess in martial arts and her Ignition Ability through Fire Soldiers from other companies that happened to have either fought her or watched her fight. It was no joke and definitely deadly. So if he talked trash about Benimaru, Karim would raise her ire.

“You may hate Waka for being who and how he is but please refrain from insulting my best friend in my presence, Karim,” Susanoo said firmly, her visible eye narrowed in warning. “Don't disrespect him. It would pain me to have two of the most important people in my life despising each other because they simply can't get along.”

The priest was silent for a long moment before he covered Susano's hands with his own and slowly took them off his face. "'Best friend', huh? One would think there's always been more between you two and you can't blame my jealousy and possessiveness whenever you return to the 7th District after spending time with me." He sighed, falling on his back with Susanoo stumbling on his chest with a gasp. His other arm wrapped around her as well, his hand smack on her ass cheek. "I may have never visited Asakusa because it's not my district, but rumours spread rather fast between all companies; some say that you two have known each other since childhood, others think that you've been betrothed to one another and that you're secretly married. I don't know whether to laugh at those rumours or encase those Fire Soldiers who said that in my ice."

Susanoo gaped at him, eyes wide in disbelief, and Karim nodded in confirmation. _I don't believe this_, she thought as she facepalmed with a groan before tucking her face into her priest's neck. Of all the things she could find out about herself in the Special Fire Force, she had to find out that her fellow colleagues were spewing tacky rumours about her relationship to Benimaru from her lover. Who happened to be a priest, for Devil's sake. Whoever it was that talked couldn't have belonged to her brigade - it had to have come from someone in another Company; either from the 2nd to the 6th, as she wasn't even sure that Princess Hibana's lapdogs would dare defy her orders and wander out without permission. Besides, they were too busy doing research for Haijima to get caught up in stupid matters. So the 5th might be out. And the 8th? No, Obi wouldn't do something like this and it clearly wasn't his style.

She and Benimaru? There was no way they'd go over there and their friendship was too precious to be shattered over something that would never happen between them. Susanoo _did_ love Waka, but as her closest friend because their bond went deeper than threads of friendship. She considered him as family. Even the twins, Konro and everyone else from Company 7th counted as family for Susanoo. That reminded her... of Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox. Their friendship was deep and incredible.

Images of a man with a mane of the wildest black hair Susanoo had ever seen and red eyes flashed in her mind, along with a young woman who could have been her twin. She had cerulean, long wavy hair, deep blue eyes and a beaming smile. The lieutenant smiled wistfully in Karim's neck, eyes shutting close. Juvia Lockser truly had been beautiful, even when she died. Susanoo's bond with Waka was unique, brotherly, and she cherished it. Exactly like she cherished her family back home in Asakusa.

Karim's fingers kneading her hip brought her back to the present and she opened her eyes when he nuzzled her head with his lips. Then that hand slowly went up her body, until its fingers tangled into her silky locks in a gentle grip. “Will you tell me one day?” he asked softly. “So it will clear any future misunderstanding between us? I certainly don't want to feel stupid when there's nothing to be stupid about and that'd be real stupid to just be angry over some stupid bond.”

He must have been thinking about this for a little while, since he seemed willing to work on his jealousy issues. A beaming smile curved Susanoo's luscious lips and she raised her head to look down at her lover, her eye crinkling again.

“Are you willing to wait until I'm ready to tell you, _Father_?” she almost purred at him.

The effect was instantaneous. Karim's eyes seemed to darken even more, if that was possible, and his hands tightened both on her ass and in her hair as he pulled her into a passionate, rough kiss that lasted for what she thought was a long moment. It left her breathless and flushed when they parted, eyes finally glowing because Karim had made her hot. Even the invisible runes on her body were glowing as well. She could only hope she wouldn't invoke one of the mythological gods if they were to go at it again.

Karim smirked at her. “Will you sin before I drive you insane with need?” he countered in a husky voice. He took her lower lip between his teeth and nibbled at it for a few seconds before taking her lips in a much tender kiss. His vicious tongue drew wanton moans out of her throat and he chuckled darkly, parting from Susanoo with great difficulty. “Or will I drive you insane with need before you could get to sin? That's the question... shall we see right now?”

She gasped and her blue eyes widened, now trying her best to escape his strong arms. “W-what?” she squeaked, blushing madly and mewling when his teeth sank into her left collarbone. She arched against him when his hand squeezed her firm ass. “Karim... I might need to—mmh...”

“Don't chicken on me now, _Leafy_,” he drawled in her ear, using the nickname he gave her. Karim wrapped his powerful arm around her curvaceous body, preventing an eventual escape. “You provoked me, so you need to get punished until we're both exhausted.”

While he wasn't one to initiate intimate contact, Karim had surprised himself ever since he got together with her; Susanoo had always been the one to coax him into kissing her and she was incredibly patient with him, learning that the smallest interactions mattered more to him than big effusions of love that were so cringeworthy and embarrassing (see, she learnt from her past life's mistakes!). The time he'd lured her to the men's showers to have sex in a cubicle had been mind-blowing and worth going there, because she hadn't known Karim could be passionate and damn good during their lovemaking. Susanoo had been all sore and her skin had the marks of his teeth and his love bites on her neck and other parts of her body for about a whole week, which had been so unexpected (she had her revenge on him, though; one wild intercourse had left Karim with long scratches on his strong back, to which he'd complained to her while she'd laughed).

He silenced her once more with a passionate, punishing kiss when she was about to protest, killing whatever weak reply she was about to spout, and Susanoo couldn't help but return this kiss. She rolled her hips seductively against Karim's, who growled deeply in approval and tensed under her. She could feel him harden again and _God, was he big_.

He was about to thrust into her when Susanoo heard an unwelcome sound. Footsteps, almost silent, suddenly rang in her trained ears and she stilled in Karim's arms. It wasn't very often the two lovers were interrupted during a casual stroll in the Shinjuku District whenever Susanoo was visiting, mainly because Karim always made sure that they weren't followed by any of his friends and colleagues (especially Rekka, as exhuberant as he could be). But the Fire Soldier had always been reluctant to have an intercourse in his quarters, because there could be anyone passing by.

Like right now.

Karim also stopped his ministrations and looked up at her with a frown, only to be silenced by one slender finger on his lips. Susanoo nodded towards the door and stared at the corner, ready to strike. Her visible eye glowed, her rune tattoos did as well and she straightened as gracefully as she could while still straddling Karim, tension washing over her body. Those footsteps were intentionally discreet and nearly silent, and that didn't sit well with Susanoo. The breathing was controlled and nearly soundless, the heartbeat was calm and collected. Someone was trying to sneak up on them on purpose.

Karim's bedroom door was kicked open and Rekka Hoshimiya marched in with that unnerving smile and those stupid eyes of his. Always so enthusiastic. “Karim! Don't stay indoors while you can guide our rookies down the great path we can pave for them and...” His eyes fell on Karim and Susanoo, frozen still on the bed, and Rekka froze as well.

There was a long minute that passed between the three Fire Soldiers, who stared at each other in quiet disbelief for one, extreme irritation for another and bubbling frustration for the last one. Susanoo's brow twitched twice in irritation and she finally turned away with a huff, covering her large breasts.

“Your friend has absolutely no manners, Frost,” she clipped as she searched for her discarded clothes.

“What the _hell_, Rekka?” Karim almost yelled at him, jumping out of his bed to put on his underwear and pants. He then slammed his bedroom door shut, eyes flashing in barely restrained anger. “Learn to fucking knock next time!”

“_My stars!_” Rekka gasped loudly as he blinked alternatively at both Karim and Susanoo with a disbelieving expression. Then his starry eyes found his friend and he just stared. “Lieutenant Susanoo Matsumoto of Company 7th... you, _Karim Flam_, the most irritated Fire Soldier of the Special Fire Force, have managed to seduce _Lieutenant Susanoo Matsumoto_ and hide this from me! My stars!”

“My woman, my business. We may be best friends but you of all people know I value privacy when it comes to my personal life. And Leaf fits in this category, so fuck off. And stop _ogling_ her,” Karim ground out.

“My stars! She really is a gorgeous woman with such lovely curves. She's almost... sinful.”

Susanoo halted in her movements with a stunned expression, half-way between putting her white sleeveless shirt back on. Did he mean it? Did her favourite priest really care about her that much? Such knowledge confessed in front of one of his best friends made her blush prettily and she dared a glance behind her shoulder, just in time to see Karim give Rekka a taste of his clenched fist on his cranium with a curse. He was also standing right in front of her, half-naked, and kept rooted to his spot so he'd cover her own nudity – he was taller than her with more muscles, so she was fine.

She couldn't help the sweet smile that curved her lips. That was fine to know that Karim really was protective of her. _Waka can't fault him for this_, Susanoo thought with a pleased hum as she stepped in her trousers after putting on her shirt.

“Any way, what do you want?” Karim demanded as he folded his arms and scowled at Rekka. “I'm busy, as you can see.”

Rekka, who didn't look like he was in any pain, smiled wide at the annoyed Fire Soldier. Susanoo swore she could see the stars flash on each side of his head.

“The Rookie Fire Soldier Games will start in three days and our new recruits of this year need to be properly prepared for this glorious competition. Thought you might join Huo Yan and I into the meeting?” he asked hopefully, his eyes bright. His gaze tentatively swerved towards Susanoo but Karim, observant as ever, followed his movement with his body and blocked the heavenly view with a thunderous scowl. Rekka chuckled heartily. “Lieutenant Matsumoto, would you like to join? All experienced Fire Soldiers are welcome to give their piece of advice, even if they don't belong to the 1st.”

“While the invitation sounds appealing, I'll have to decline and return to Asakusa in a bit,” Susanoo declared as she laced her boots. She sent Karim a smile and he scowled some more, disgruntled. “What? It's getting late and you heard Rekka, right? The Rookie Fire Soldier Games are coming up, which is a big event for all Special Fire Force companies, and you need to prepare. Those rookies will need it.”

Karim turned towards her, arms folded. “True. But the 7th doesn't even partake in the Games and your Batallion Commander won't get off his ass to see how the new recruits will fare, so how about you stay over after we're done with the rookies?” He pointed a thumb towards the ever-smiling Rekka. “You'll be a much better company than the shitty rookies that joined the 1st and this idiot who barged in here without permission, interrupting our time.”

“My stars!” Rekka added with a wink, a thumb up and a bright smile.

Karim still paid him no mind. “My treat,” he baited, giving Susanoo a rare, soft small smile – that she found absolutely gorgeous on him.

Damn. Susanoo _hated_ whenever he did that, because it just made her want to stay overnight and return to Asakusa District late in the afternoon the following day to be hounded by Hinata and Hikage. Karim always knew how to sway her into hanging out like a couple whenever the two of them had time. She blushed, he smiled even more and looked a bit smug. Triumphant even. That cocky little—wait...

Jumping to her feet, she clapped her hands and smiled wide at her lover. “How about you finally come to Asakusa District? I could give you a tour of our turf so you can finally see why I love it so much, because your visit has long been overdue. Or we can directly go to my home so you won't have to cross paths with Waka. Before you protest, I'll cook for you and will be your host,” she added with a fond look when Karim started protesting.

He thought it over for two seconds, then smirked. “You're gonna cook that same dinner from last week?” he asked, taking two steps to hover her and grab her waist with one hand. His fingers tickled the soft, pale skin of her hipbone where the shirt didn't cover her body and she almost giggled, jolting in his grip. Karim's smirk grew wider and he pulled her to him. “I loved it and no one else in the kitchens at the 1st could actually reproduce the outstanding taste from your dishes. Might as well go directly to the source and fully enjoy it, huh?”

Susanoo leaned in against him, pleased. “My treat,” she repeated to his lips.

Stars flew from Rekka's eyes as he blinked twice. “Eh, what's this? You've cooked him dinner and Karim didn't complain once to you? He actually _loved_ it? My stars!" he exclaimed, surprise lacing his tone. “Now I'm actually jealous of you, my friend; if Lieutenant Matsumoto is as good as you're implying in the kitchen, then you've been enjoying the food of the gods for months and you've never had the idea to share with us.”

The flame that had been lighting up the candle on the night table was suddenly put out, doused by ice. Karim groaned in annoyance, his dark blue eyes glowing. “Shut your mouth, will ya? Why do you have to always be so loud about everything, it's irritating. The food made by the chefs of the 1st is good enough to fill your stomach, so don't come begging after my girlfriend's. _Good grief_,” he huffed, his eyes returning to normal. His features softened when Susanoo cupped his face tenderly with a sweet smile. “Well, that settles it. Guess I'll see you at the Rookie Games?”

“For sure,” Susanoo assured with a nod and a smile before pressing a light kiss on his lips. “Try not to kill this idiot behind, 'kay?”

“Tch. He's dead the second you're gone. I don't appreciate anyone ogling you in my presence.”

“My stars!”

Susanoo blinked at her boyfriend, perplexed and slightly startled. Was it her imagination or did she just happen to see a flash of … _intense disgust_ in his eyes before he turned towards Rekka? If it truly was what her eyes just managed to catch before Karim turned away, then something was going on and she couldn't put her finger on it. Even his aura had slightly darkened earlier, when he realised it was Rekka who had interrupted them. Her keen eye shifted between the two friends, studied them for a few seconds before she eventually left Karim's bedroom, fixing the straps of her pants. _Will you tell me, Karim? It sounds... life-changing_, she thought with pursed lips as she jumped nimbly on the rooftop and dashed away.

* * *

Soaring through the air to rush back home after spending time at Company 1st with Karim always made Susanoo feel free and carefree, thanks to Juvia Lockser having been reincarnated as a woman born in a ninja clan. She'd jump from building to building, running at top speed to soar as high as she could in the sky, just to feel the wind in her air and smile wide while thinking of how she should spend the remaining hours of the day with Waka and the twins (should they still be awake by the time she returned, but Waka would be lounging in her room for sure). Company 1st' Shinjuku District had the advantage of being big and surrounded by buildings, to which she was grateful – shinobi liked being elusive.

This time, Susanoo was troubled and thoughtful at she jumped from building to building to get back to Asakusa. Though she wanted to wait until she was safely tucked in her room and unbothered by her siblings, her mind wouldn't wait until she was in her pajamas to start working overdrive on what just happened in her boyfriend's bedroom; just _what the hell was that?_ Karim's aura reacted very negatively to Rekka's presence and this was very shocking because it had never happened before. It was a mix of restrained rage and burning need to beat the devil out of the other lieutenant, which she found to be out of character for Karim. It wasn't just odd, it was...

_Frightening_.

The idea itself was ridiculous, as she had nothing to fear from Karim – if Susanoo could count the times he'd cooled her off with his fire powers because she'd overused hers by training a bit too hard. Being a Third-Generation pyrokinetic sometimes sucked harder than having to remind herself that she was also a human being, just enhanced. Her priest boyfriend may have a disgruntled expression most of the time, it didn't mean that he wasn't caring or too cold (like a certain ice mage from her past life, but that was Juvia's fault for being too obsessive). However, though she hadn't hung out around the three lieutenants of Company 1st that much, she couldn't tell if Karim's disgust with Rekka was new or a passive-aggressive thing that would soon pass.

_But it didn't seem like a fleeting feeling_, she thought with a small frown as she performed a graceful swan die from a rather high building. She caught herself on a street lamp, swung once to catch herself onto the next, then landed lightly on the rooftop of a lower building. Instead of continuing to run back home, the lieutenant stopped for a moment to think; she went to sit on the edge, one arm propped on a knee and frowning in utter frustration. If there was anything bothering Karim, he'd tell her, right? Maybe she could ask him after the Rookie Fire Soldier Games were over, because Susanoo hated it whenever he was upset over something.

“I'm not imagining things, am I?” she asked no one in particular in a soft voice, taking a kunai seemingly out of nowhere and spinning it expertly between her fingers. She soon stopped the spinning and gripped it in her hand, her eye glowing. The whole hand was lit up with a bright blue flame, which soon morphed and took the form of a goddess with ten arms. “If Father's doubts and secret researches are proven right about the mystery behind Human Combustion, then some dark forces are at work in the shadows and the body count will keep increasing until the enemy is taken out.”

Suffice to say, the mystery of Human Combustion was one complex case that had the whole world in shambles very quickly and Susanoo had been aghast when the other countries were torn apart by the phenomenon. All these deaths, all these people suddenly burnt to death by the flames so many of them could control in the Special Fire Force Companies – it was one hell of a horrifying way to die. And here she thought that wizards in her previous world could sometimes use some nasty and life-threatening spells that couldn't be outmatched... Human Combustion itself topped everything Earthland could throw, even that black wizard.

Well. She didn't belong on Earthland any more. Juvia Lockser died, allowing Susanoo Matsumoto to be born on another universe she'd protect at the cost of her life. Now she had people she'd happily live and die for – two loving, yet strict parents, adorable siblings who looked up to her, an unusual boyfriend she'd never thought she'd fall in love with and her 'twin' Benimaru whom she'd never fail. God forbid if Susanoo allowed herself to remake the same mistakes she did as Juvia Lockser, as there was no way she'd let an obsession over a boy have the last laugh over her.

Sighing, Susanoo stood up and jumped off. Waka would still be awake at this hour, so she might as well visit him and make sure he ate correctly, along with Konro and the twins. Nothing too sweet.

It didn't take her long to reach Asakusa. Once the District was in view and the familiar lanterns entered her sight, she instantly felt smile and her mood lightened. Susanoo landed lightly on her feet, beaming as her eyes almost sparkled at the sight of the inhabitants of Asakusa. _Home_, she thought as she jogged towards the Company's headquarters.

“Oi, Aoba! Come have tea with us sometime and tell us about your boyfriend, we're curious!” a hostess called out to the lieutenant with a big smile.

Susano scoffed with a slight flush, looking away. This was exactly _why_ she'd wanted to keep her relationship with Karim a secret for a while until they could be open; there were always gossip lovers who'd want the juicy details – especially in Asakusa, where Waka was practically hailed as their king and she was close to being a vassal.

“What's that? Someone captured the Aoba's heart before me? My life is over and meaningless!” the cook of the restaurant cried out, falling on his knees with tears running down his cheeks.

The Fire Soldier gaped for a few seconds, not knowing how to react. She blinked, at a loss for words, then promptly bowed to the crying cook. “My... apologies?” she said tentatively. Apologising for what? For falling in love with Karim Flam? Ridiculous. Susanoo attempted a sweet smile at the man, her eye gleaming. “It happened and I couldn't do anything about it. He just...”

Well. Karim Flam just 'worded' his way into her life and she 'ninja-ed' hers into his. Their relationship had been blooming for months and they weren't rushing in anything, they were taking their time in knowing each other – which was very nice, considering her boyfriend wasn't one to open up so easily. _"Let's go on our pace, whatever the pace that won't outpace us and won't disturb our own pace,"_ Karim had declared before hauling a half-naked and smiling Susanoo against him, a wicked smirk on his face and a surprisingly lecherous glint in his dark eyes as he stumbled in the bathroom. The men's bathroom of Company 1st.

Flushed, Susanoo blinked many times before she flashed a beaming smile to the hostess and the cook. “I'll make sure to come by one day and have lunch,” she declared airily, clapping her hands. “I'll also coax Waka out to enjoy your anpans, even if it's too sweet. How does that sound?”

She was rewarded with the biggest, hopeful smiles and starry eyes from the inhabitants. “Marvelous! Please try hard, Aoba!” the hostesses and cook all chorused.

“For sure!” she exclaimed before waving goodbye and jogging towards the headquarters.

Susanoo pushed the sheet aside and swiftly came in with a sigh, relieved to be finally home. As expected, it seemed to be peaceful inside and there were no smells coming from the kitchen – no one would cook when she was there to take care of the meals, because she was the best (Waka, the twins and Konro all agreed). The lieutenant smiled to herself as she took off her boots, her mind already working on what to cook for dinner.

“I'm home,” she called out, padding silently towards the kitchen. “Have you eaten already?”

As soon as she spoke, one door slid open and two identical girls poked their heads out. When they recognised Susanoo, Hinata and Hikage smiled wide.

“Blue-Blue, you're back!” they said in unison and both girls flung themselves at Susanoo, who caught them easily. Two pairs of golden eyes with white pupils blinked up at her. “We've been waiting for you as we can't just keep eating sweets from the old hag because you said it would be bad for our health and growth!”

Susanoo frowned down at the twins. “And I stand by it, as you need complete meals with nutritive vitamins and sugar isn't going to cut it,” she reasoned, walking into the kitchen with the twins latched onto her shoulders. She then started rummaging around for ingredients to make all sorts of sushi rolls and inarizushi. “Where are Waka and Konro?”

“Right here,” a familiar voice drawled at the entrance of the kitchen. “You took your time coming back. Did your priest boyfriend detain you at that big-for-nothing cathedral or what? Do I need to kick his ass?”

Susanoo whirled around with an affronted expression, staring at Benimaru with mock shock. The twins complained and nearly fell from their perch, readjusting their hold onto the lieutenant. “_Don't you dare, Tic-Tac-Toe eyes!_” she exclaimed, one bag of rice in her arms. "Or you'll suffer my wrath!”

Benimaru didn't look remotely impressed, if not slightly amused the slight upturn of his lips. “Yeah, right. When you finally get around the tricks and the skills to beat me in hand-to-hand combat, we'll talk about me getting wrecked by you.” He shuffled into the kitchen, surveying the table Susanoo had crowded with the ingredients for dinner. He made a sound in the back of his throat and took a seat, his eyes on his second lieutenant. “So, whatcha gonna cook for us tonight?”

“Tempura soba, sushi rolls, inarizushi, fish... anpan for dessert. That okay with you, big brother?” she asked sweetly with a soft smile, leaning towards Benimaru.

Hinata cheered, smiling wide. “That's fine by me!” she chirped.

Hikage nodded, also smiling wide. “Blue-Blue's cooking is the best, easily beating that old hag's daifuku because Blue-Blue's cooking skills hail from the Matsumoto clan. She stands no chance.”

The twins jumped off her with a happy giggle, running out of the kitchen just as Konro was coming in. That truly wasn't because Susanoo was part of the Matsumoto clan that she excelled in the kitchen, but... _no, I better not try to reason with the twins when they're literally Waka's female parrots_, she thought.

Tic-Tac-Toe pink eyes blinked up at her lazily and the young man stared up at her for a few seconds, silent. He was gauging her expression, as always. Benimaru had always known how to read her, even as children when they'd train together, so he most likely picked something up from her aura. Susanoo couldn't hide anything from her big brother, not even her relationship to Karim Flam. She'd tell him what was troubling her later, after dinner.

He finally extended one hand to her, his palm open. Smiling wide, Susanoo put her own hand into his and Benimaru squeezed it. Firmly. She squeezed back just as firmly.

“Yeah,” he simply said.

One who didn't know Shinmon Benimaru would think he looked like he could care less, but they had to know him first to sense the underlying affection he held for those he loved – Susanoo was one of them. She nodded at him, then turned to smile at Konro before starting on dinner. After all, the twins needed their fill and they'd just giggle and babble her damn ears off until they finally had their food.

* * *

Dinner at the 7th was, as always, very lively. With Waka sometimes complaining about the inhabitants of Asakusa because they'd either burden him with 'too much food' and invitations to drink, the twins parroting him and sometimes their 'Blue-Blue', Konro and Susanoo talking about the affairs in Asakusa or in the other Companies' districts, quiet and peace didn't belong in their home. She just loved it and couldn't complain; back when she was Juvia Lockser, Fairy Tail used to be rowdy and full of joy. Her teammates at the 7th may not be as lively as her former at that guild, but Matsumoto Susanoo wouldn't trade them for the world. She belonged here, as her new life wasn't as tragic and held more meaning. She was happy here and she had no regrets.

“I heard the 8th just recruited another rookie this year, along with the one you're interested in, Aoba,” Konro said disinterestedly as he piled anpans on his plate.

Susanoo, who'd bitten into her third anpan and was making sure the twins weren't taking too many at once, swiftly turned towards Konro to fully focus on him with bright eyes. She swallowed, produced a hair tie out of nowhere and pushed up the long, elegantly curled locks covering the left side of her face to tie them up in a high ponytail. All that in less than five seconds. Mismatched eyes gleamed excitedly at Konro and she smiled.

“I'm listening,” she whispered-yelled at Konro. She also waved at Waka. “Big brother, listen as well.”

“Whatever,” he drawled lazily, waving her back off. “That's some brand new 'Imperial lapdog' useless nonsense I don't need to hear about.”

“Like Karim?”

“_Especially_ about your priest. Leave me out of this, Aoba.”

She pouted. “Tch. Fine, but watch the twins and make sure they don't eat too many anpans. We certainly don't want a repeat from last time.”

All three adults _flinched_. That 'last time' Susanoo was talking had been a crazy surprise for the three Fire Soldiers, as Hinata and Hikage had begged her to bake anpans and daifukus after the festival thrown for one of their own that had turned Infernal in Asakusa. The twins, having eaten too many of them despite Susanoo's warnings, got them all up all night with their loud playing, giggling and babbling. And since she was a kunoichi trained hard in these arts, she was a light sleeper, very sensitive to any disturbance in the air and couldn't go back to sleep while Hinata and Hikage were as loud as elephants. Waka had somehow ended up sneaking into her room, just to escape the twins in case they'd decide to come into his room and keep him awake – and that had proven useless because they'd come to Susanoo's as well, babbling her ears off until eight in the damn morning. Luckily, they hadn't used their Ignition Ability and burnt down their home.

Because of that, Susanoo had escaped to Shinjuku District and slept most of the day inside Karim's quarters. Her priest hadn't expected to find her there, but hadn't complained and had even held her in his sleep at night. Sugar was one hell of a weapon against children. She should know, her younger siblings had been her first experience with children high on sugar.

Waka blinked many times, faster than usual, and slowly turned towards Hinata and Hikage, who blinked up at them innocently with their cheeks puffed up and their plates full of anpans. Too. Many. Anpans.

“... Hinata, Hikage," Benimaru sighed, slightly sounding and looking aggravated. "You've pissed me off the last time you went off the rails because you've had too much sugar, so lay off.”

“We don't want to hear any complaint, Waka,” the twins chorused in a sing-song voice.

Konro smiled thinly at their banter, sipping his tea before responding. “From the little intel I've got, the second new recruit's name is Boyle Arthur and was a classmate in Kusakabe's year at the Academy. His Ignition Ability mainly relies on him using a sword, with a blade made of plasma. Very rare ability, isn't it?” he agreed to Susanoo's expression of pleasant surprise. "Though you and Waka have nothing to envy from him, it's still impressive that he can create and control plasma. Which means that he can cut through very solid objects and material, such as steel.”

“I wonder if his Ignition Ability can cut through Company 1st' captain, the one they call 'Fire Incarnate' – Captain Burns Leonard," Susanoo mused, her mug of tea in hand. “I've heard about his exploits during his younger years, which are nothing to sneeze at. He'd be extremely tough to beat in a battle, this is a seasoned Fire Soldier. Back to Kusakabe and Boyle, since they're rookies, that means they'll partake in the Rookie Fire Soldier Games to represent the 8th. Sweet,” she smiled widely, snatching up the plates of anpans from Hikage and Hinata's reach without even looking. “I'm going to their headquarters tomorrow morning to meet them.”

Waka used his hands to fend off the twins, who were trying their best to get the plate from Susanoo's hands. Flat on both their heads, his hands managed to keep them at bay while they were making grabby-hands at the plate of anpans. “Skip your little adventure. There's nothing interesting over there but dogs who bow to the so-called Holy Sol,” he drawled, his voice loud over Hinata and Hikage's complaints.

“Keep restraining the twins, Waka, you're doing an excellent job,” Susanoo retorted back with a wide smile. “So, as I was saying, I'm going to meet them just for the hell of it, have fun with Devil's Foot and the Boyle boy. For the whole day and there's _nooooothing_ you can do about it, _Be-ni-maaaa-ru_. You don't want to leave Asakusa just for a day or two and make new friends at the other Companies, that's your problem. Either way, I'm going!” she finished with a chuckle, getting up.

“Huh. I can still knock you out, tie you up and leave Hinata and Hikage to keep watch over you. That's a pretty good idea.”

Susanoo slowly turned towards him, eyes glowing. Four small flame invocations of Kali appeared on top of the pile of anpans, wearing gold ornaments and all, turning their ten arms. They were all sticking their tongues out with an expression of madness on their faces, dancing on the sweets.

“You wouldn't,” she breathed.

He sent her a slight, mocking smirk. Tic-Tac-Toe pink eyes were unusually bright with a mischief she hadn't seen in him in years. It looked so beautiful and gorgeous on him. “Wanna try me, Aoba?”

Konro sighed almost ruefully, looking exhausted. “Don't, Waka,” he drawled.

Benimaru didn't listen and did the worst thing ever.

He released Hinata and Hikage. Mismatched eyes widened in horror as the twins launched themselves at her, their hungry golden eyes set on the plate of anpans and their mouths drooling.

“_Ours!_” Hinata and Hikage exclaimed happily, about to tackle Susanoo.

It just seemed to happen in slow motion. As the twins were about to touch her, the lieutenant all but vanished from her spot. Two pairs of golden eyes rapidly blinked twice, barely registering that the person holding their sweet treasure had just used her skills to disappear from sight. As they were about to crash on the floor, Konro suddenly appeared in front of them and caught them deftly in his arms, each girl being held like a sack of potatoes. Waka snorted in laughter silently, his Tic-Tac-Toe eyes swerving on the right to find Susanoo standing near him, the plate of anpans intact in her hands. Her wide mismatched eyes were still set on the twins, watching their movements.

_Ha! Bet you liked that, huh?_ Waka thought with a small mocking smile.

“I'm going to tuck them in,” Konro sighed, turning on his heels to leave the living-room. “I think they've had enough for tonight.”

“What? No, no! I want more of Blue-Blue's anpans!” Hinata exclaimed, kicking her feet.

“Yeah! Me too!” Hikage chimed in, also struggling in Konro's hold.

Konro groaned. “I don't think so. Now let's go, I need to catch some sleep.”

The bickering kept on until it was only a small sound, with a door being slid open and shut. Susanoo and Waka both strained their ears to listen to the twins' adorable (frightening) banter with the first lieutenant – who wasn't swayed by them because he dealt with Waka all the time. About fifteen more minutes of new banter, sounds of water and teeth being brushed, sounds of clothing, light snores could be heard from the twins' bedroom. Konro sighed softly once more, this time in huge relief. The beasts were restrained and defeated. Susanoo sighed as well, her eyes closed.

A snort forced her to snap her eyes open again and glare at Waka. This time, the smile was there, all genuine and absolutely cute to look at – it wasn't the drunk smile he couldn't control whenever he'd have a drink, it was the smile Shinmon Benimaru would give his 'twin' whenever he felt like it. Even his Tic-Tac-Toe eyes were smiling for real. How could Susanoo ever be mad at him?

“I missed you, you know,” he drawled.

If she wasn't holding two plates of sweets, she'd have thrown herself in his arms to claim a hug Waka would return hesitantly. Her own smile was big enough for the two of them. “Catch up in my room after I'm done with the dishes?” she suggested, sauntering towards the kitchen.

“You can do that tomorrow, let's catch up now.”

“The dishes, big brother.”

“Do I need to wake up the twins so they can come at you again?”

She gasped in horror. Anything but _that!_ “I'm coming!”

* * *

Now, 'catch up' with Benimaru and Susanoo didn't necessarily mean they had to talk. No, most of the time, they just hung out together in peaceful silence because they could just communicate without words. If Susanoo's bedroom or apartment felt like her personal space where she could be free to do anything, Waka considered them his haven of peace because it was her place. Because she was there and her presence soothed him whenever he needed her.

Whether Aoba was in her room or not, Waka would just come in and stay there until he felt peaceful enough to go and wander around Asakusa, deal with those who turned Infernals and put them to rest. Needless to say, that tradition would always take a lot from him because that meant watching someone he knew wither away, as the body of the Infernals always lost to the flames of Human Combustion. That horrible phenomenon took and took people as the brand new kind of death that everyone in the world feared, no one knew why, but it hurt having to put people to rest.

Of all people, Aoba understood him best and although he didn't show how grateful he was most of the times, she never failed to prove him right – she was there at the beginning and will stay with him. And there was no way he was going anywhere without her, hell will freeze over before Waka ever thought of giving his 'twin' up to anyone in the world (especially that priest from Company 1).

“Spill it, Aoba,” he finally said as soon as she was settled on the bed. His Tic-Tac-Toe eyes found her mismatched gaze and stared blankly. “What's troubling you? Is it your priest?”

Susanoo held Waka's gaze for a few silent moments, towel on her shoulders and hair still damp from her shower. It was pulled back neatly with a hair tie to show her face entirely. Sighing, she crossed her bare legs and let it out. “Something is bothering Karim... and I don't have a clue what it could be,” she confessed. “But I'm ready to bet a batch of daifuku that it has something to do with one of his best friends – Hoshimiya Rekka, the one with the stupid star-shaped pupils,” she precised for Benimaru, even though he looked like he didn't care at all for the appearance. “You weren't there when he interrupted us, because that's when I felt something shift in Karim's aura; it reacted negatively to Hoshimiya's presence, ready to burst into flames. The disgust I swear I saw in his eyes is an emotion I'd never thought I'd ever see on him, as it had no place being there.” Her mismatched eyes narrowed in concern. “I want to help but I'm useless if I don't know what's bothering him this much that he's starting to act hostile towards one of his best friends. Frustrating it may be, it can't just be a fleeting jab: it has to be more serious than an argument if Karim's aura is deeply disturbed by Hoshimiya.”

Benimaru mulled this over for a long minute, then patted her head once and made her face him. “If your instincts are screaming at you that something is wrong with that stupid star-shaped pupil priest, then listen to them,” he said, his eyes staring at her square in hers. “They've never failed you and I don't see why they should start now. Though I don't care for your priest boyfriend, my advice for you is to watch over him: if whatever is bothering him about that other priest is serious, then be there for him.” He leaned in, narrowing his Tic-Tac-Toe pink eyes. “But you better not tell him that I said that, or I swear that you'll forget that you're dating him.”

“Is that a threat, big brother?” Susanoo mused, blinking innocently at him.

“As much as I dislike all those Imperial lapdogs, that priest has been making you happy for months. Even I am forced to admit that he might be a good influence on you.” He snorted and rolled his eyes when he spied Susanoo's beaming smile. “Again, don't tell him I said that because I don't really care about Flam Karim. I don't want to get involved any further into your relationship with him.”

“But you just gave me an advice right now.” Her smile grew wider. “Thank you for this, big brother! You need a reward!”She moved to go get him some anpans (that she'd hidden from the twins), but Benimaru caught her before she could jump off her bed.

“I've had enough sweets for tonight, you're gonna kill me with diabetes if you keep this up,” he chastised, restraining her struggling form in his arms very easily.

“You only had two!”

“So?”

_But you just ate two!_ This guy was unbelievable most of the time and she had to wonder herself how she kept up with him. Was it because they'd always been close as young children and when their families had been allies? Or was it because she and Waka were born the same day on the same year that the two of them struck a friendship and a bond that went beyond brotherhood? Best friend and big brother she called him... Waka didn't really know how much he meant for her. He was the Gajeel Redfox of her present life. And if she could be there for him and he for her, then that was all that mattered. And she also had one boyfriend she'd kill to keep.

If Waka's advice worked out, then Karim would open up to her about Rekka. It would be a great step in their relationship because he still seemed a little bit reluctant to talk about his childhood; all Susanoo knew about him was that he had two elder brothers he got along with, even if they were annoying the hell out of him, and that his friendship with Huo Yan and Rekka went way back. Even before they made it to the rank of lieutenant in the 1st. Should whatever was bothering Karim hit him hard, Susano will be there to help him get back up, especially if Rekka was the cause of his pain.

Speaking of boyfriend...

“Karim also despises you, big brother,” she chimed in, still trying to get to the kitchen.

Waka effortlessly slammed her on the bed. “Likewise,” he drawled, a faint smile on his lips.

* * *

**/!\** Well, that's a wrap for this first chapter. It's just a sample of Juvia as Susanoo in the Fire Force lore, but there's that. Explicit extras about her life will come up later on in the story – how she met Shinmon Benimaru, how she met Karim and came to date him, her family... well, everything in this story. All in due time, so be patient with the way I write my stories (I'm slow, but I hope they're all worth the crazy wait).

**Vocabulary:** "Aoba" means "Blue leaf" in Japanese.

Here's the very first:

_~ Night Talks ~ _

Later, much after Waka bid her good night to go to sleep, Susanoo's smartphone vibrated somewhere near her. Though she wasn't asleep just yet, it pained her to have to open her (glowing) eyes. Slumber left her system rather quickly as the vibrating continued. Groaning, she shuffled in her bed to extend an arm towards the object of her nightmares, finally grabbed it after struggling with her favourite panda. She glared at the screen, hoping to find Aoshi's name on it so she could have a good reason to use Kali on him, but her bubbling anger easily left her system as soon as she recognised Karim's name.

No Aoshi, just her boyfriend calling her late at night. How sweet, she didn't have to rip Aoshi's head off the second she'll see him at the Matsumoto compound. Her heartbeat suddenly went wild and she smiled toothily. Susanoo wasted no time in answering and put the phone to her ear. “Karim?” she asked, almost breathlessly.

_“Hey. Hope I'm not bothering you at this hour of the night? I didn't know if you'd still be awake...,”_ he said, sounding slightly sheepish and annoyed at the same time.

“Don't trouble yourself, I wasn't even close to falling asleep just yet,” she chuckled heartily, settling back comfortably in her bed and beneath her fluffy covers. “If I had been, this would have been because of Hinata and Hikage's crazy antics.”

_“Really? Because of their low sugar tolerance? Huh, must be a sight to witness if this has something to do with your sweets. You are a cordon bleu, after all...” _He then groaned, making Susanoo blink in interest despite her red cheeks over his unexpected compliment. _“Listen, I wanted to apologise for this goddamn idiot barging in and interrupting us earlier. I specifically indicated that I was busy on my board so that no one would bother us. That was seriously uncalled for.” _

Her features softened considerably and her smile grew sweeter. “Well, that was a good reminder of the fact that two lieutenants from the Special Fire Force still have duties to tend to despite the fact that they're a couple, so we can't complain. Though the 7th isn't really as involved as the other Companies, I still like to hear about the new recruits and intel from time to time. It's not like Waka bothers with you all and Konro is too loyal to go against his wishes, so it falls on me to keep a careful eye on every Company.”

Karim made a sound in the back of his throat. _“Yeah, I'm aware. I understood that when I rose to the rank of lieutenant two years ago. Nonetheless, it would be nice if I could just have more free time with you whenever I want; Rekka walking in on us was the last straw and the idiot had the gall to ogle you while I was here.” _

“By the way, is Rekka even still alive?” Susanoo wondered.

_“Unfortunately, he still breathes and flashes his grinning star smiles.”_

She chortled, eyes gleaming in mischief. “Karim...”

_“What? I discovered sides of myself I never knew ever existed before I started seeing you, so you can't really blame me for being a protective and possessive boyfriend. We may have been dating for a few months but those feelings are relatively new; do I want the others to know that I have a girlfriend whom I care about very much but don't like sharing with everybody? You bet I want to, but they still need to respect our privacy. Boundaries have been set the minute Huo Yan figured out that I was seeing someone and at least he's respectful enough to understand that I don't need anyone prying into my relationship with my girlfriend.”_ He huffed. _“Rekka, on the other hand...” _

“Speaking of Rekka, Karim... is everything alright?” Susanoo interrupted softly, her expression sobering up and turning concerned. “Your aura shifted when he came into the room and turned sombre. Suffice to say, I was seriously thrown off.”

Karim was silent for many seconds, as if stunned that she managed to pick that up. When he spoke again, his voice was guarded and colder. _“You picked it up, didn't you? Figured you would, nothing gets past you shinobi.” _

Alarmed that she might have pissed him off, Susanoo abruptly sat up and clutched the phone. “You... you're not upset with me, are you?” she asked carefully.

_“Upset? With you?”_ Karim sounded baffled. _“No, why would I be? I'm just disgruntled over the fact that you managed to sense that something was wrong between my best friend and I, but also relieved at the same time. And... you're right: something is definitely wrong with Rekka.” _

“Do you want to talk about it?”

_“This isn't something we can just talk about on the phone, I'll tell you when you come over after the Rookie Fire Soldier Games are dealt with. Otherwise, I'd just find you and drag you to my place so we can talk without undesired interruption. 'Kay?”_

Susanoo pushed back her locks, her mismatched eyes closed. “That bad, huh...? Could this have a serious impact on the 1st if Rekka's behaviour betrays the engagements of the Special Fire Force? And if this matter is even bigger than you think, then it might concern every Company...”

A conflicted expression was set on her face and she fell back on her back, her head hitting her pillow. Ever since she joined the Special Fire Force, there hasn't been any progress on what caused the Spontaneous Human Combustion and you'd think that with Company 3rd and Company 5th allied with Haijima Industries, there would have been a breakout in this mystery much sooner. Hibana and Dr. Giovanni were both manics who would do the Devil's work to find out everything they could about Infernals, especially that pink-haired former nun who was twisted enough to call everyone 'gravel'.

Whatever Hoshimiya Rekka was doing to disturb Karim to this point, it just couldn't be good.

Karim groaned tiredly. _“Now you understand my predicament, right? This might just affect not only the 1st but also the Tokyo Empire as well, though I still need answers to my questions.” _

“Karim, listen," Susanoo coaxed softly. “we'll find out together. Please don't get angry at this hour of the night over this matter, it'll leave you highly stressed in the morning and I _hate_ it whenever you're too upset. Rekka might also pick up something on your behaviour, which will prompt him to be wary of you when he has absolutely no reason to be. You're one of his... 'best friends'. If that is still true.” She snuggled into her pillow. “I'll be at the Rookie Fire Soldier Games to watch the new rookies perform, so come and find me. I'll be eating Pocky and wearing a white hoodie with the symbol of my clan over my uniform instead of the coat with the blue stripes – even though blue is my colour.”

She heard a snort – an amused snort. Karim was smiling or smirking at best. _“Can't even be bothered with the formal uniform to state your rank? Your bum ass of a captain has too much influence on you, Leafy.” _

“Mmm... hey, Frost?” Her voice turned softer.

Karim perked up at the sound of that tone. _“Hm? What's up?” _

“I really, really wish I could have stayed overnight, had I known that whatever was bothering could be this bad. I may not know the details very well right now, but that can't just be about the Special Fire Force being compromised by Hoshimiya. It must also be personal, right? You've known him for so long that it must pain you to find out a side of him you've never known about." She swallowed uneasily, tasting the silence. "It won't be easy to accept, but... I'm here for you, Frost. You also have _me_. 'Kay?”

The silence stretched out between the two lovers, as Karim processed her words. Susanoo started to get a bit fearful that she might have shocked him too much with her truthful words, so she hid her face into her pillow and muttered words of apology, when finally, _finally_... there were a few deep chuckles on the other side of the line. She lifted her face and listened eagerly, surprised.

_“I'm glad you made the first step between us, Leafy. I couldn't muster the balls to ask you out, but you have bigger balls than me and actually had the balls to do it when I was patrolling on my own after kissing me. That took a lot of balls for you to do that.” _

Susanoo was flushed like a hot tomato. Did he need to remind her that? This late at night?

_“Hey? You still there, Leafy? You haven't fallen asleep on me, have you?” _

She chuckled, smiling wide. “Oh, Karim...”

_“Don't go all mushy on me...”_


	2. Devil's Footprints & The Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Incentive: Susanoo sneaks into Company 8 and comes across a shocking discovery.
> 
> Extra: when Karim wants privacy with his girlfriend, it means just that. Privacy. Pry into his relationship and you're gonna get wrecked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just saying - it was a tie between Benimaru or Karim. Hm... :)

_Well, that cathedral has seen much better days_, Susanoo thought as her keen eye surveyed the decrepit building she was about to sneak in. With a critical expression, she made a mental note to everything she'd have to be mindful of—loud footsteps, probably thin walls. It really was a rundown cathedral for an entire brigade such as the 8th. While none of the members of the 8th were hyper-aware or shinobi, she still wanted to be careful around them. She'd heard some things about that lieutenant who used to be a soldier in the Tokyo military, Hinawa Takehisa, Ōbi Akitaru's second-in-command; although he was a Second Generation, he was an excellent fighter able to use firearms with expertise. And that other female soldier was also a force to reckon with, so Susanoo ought to avoid having to use her 'Pressure of Death' mode and oxygen and would rather use hand-to-hand combat if the time came to blows (which was why she brought her katana!).

A weird feeling of excitement mixed with a burning urge to destroy whatever was in her way ran through her veins, supplying her with a renewed burst of energy. It was so sudden that  Susano seemed to forget where she was, thus losing her composure; her visible eye glowed and she smiled wide, sticking her tongue out  like the goddess . The appendage was immediately surrounded by bright blue flames, giving the kunoichi  a look of pure madness. If anyone happened to look up, they'd be terrified to see her in this state. Leaning against the  destroyed and empty water tank of Company 8 th , she almost looked...

_Devilish._

A good minute passed during which the kunoichi seemed to sweat a little, despite the sun not being completely up yet, and she finally crumbled to her knees. She gasped with difficulty, took several breaths as if she'd just fought Waka for hours, and tried to calm down. _Calm down, you have to fucking calm down_, she scolded herself as she shook her head. Her eyes were wide, disturbed, and her heartbeat hurt in her chest. The glowing died out and she hung her head, biting her lower lip forcefully.

_ **Again? Just give in.** _

The voice was so condescendent and mocking in her mind that she snarled hatefully, her eyes flashing. Susanoo should have known better; using Kali and her destructive power always resulted in the Fire Soldier having to 'bend' the Hindu goddess to her will, which also meant that she had to fight off her terrible influence during fights against Infernals. Being manipulated by her own flames because her Ignition Ability sought to swallow her into its influence had proven to be dangerous, but if she didn't keep on trying to master Kali, she'd look like a spineless coward who'd bowed to an unhinged goddess.

_Back __in__ your cage, Kali_, she growled in her mind, neck twitching and eyes flashing.

There was an asinine, mocking laugh from the goddess before she eventually complied with Susanoo's demand and retreated to a far corner of her mind. There was the sensation of chains being put in place around a body, chorusing the annoying giggling Kali would release, then she was put away in a corner of the lieutenant's mind with one final cry and a loud clang. The cage of the goddess was now locked away and secured. Susanoo heaved a huge sigh of relief, her Ying Yang eyes closed.

“She's still too powerful,” she murmured, leaning back on her knees to look up at the sky. “For _now_, yes. I can only rely on the _iaido_ martial arts, my regular flame attacks and the Matsumoto technique. That will do for a while.”

She might not be on Benimaru's level yet, but there was still plenty she could do to match him in the upcoming days. Susanoo was sure she catching up to him. She was creative enough to get out of sticky situations, so she'd be fine; the Matsumoto techniques had been invented by an ancestor who wanted to perfect his killing methods and be renowned for the skills the techniques had given him, so the clan had upheld the bloody, sickening tradition. Susanoo was getting there with her powers. Slowly, but surely; having been trained along with Benimaru had been fruitful to her as well, she could take care of herself. The Matsumoto clan always trained its members to become hardened killers and she was no exception. The training had been even harder on her the day her fire powers manifested themselves, practically at the same time as Benimaru.

_Speaking of home, I should come by with big brother __to visit everyone_, Susanoo thought as she swung herself on the rooftop of the 8th once she recovered from her ordeal. She landed lightly and gracefully, locks flying in her face and she brushed them back with a curious expression, eyes shut. Straightening her back, she took a big breath and exhaled softly; to penetrate in unknown and uncharted territory, Susanoo ought to be extremely cautious and silent. Like a shadow. Her hyper-awareness was also on high alert, sensing all signs of life around her—from Captain Ōbi to the last of his subordinates. To her delight, the unpowered captain was already awake and exercising; he seemed to be lifting something. Weights, maybe. She hummed in appreciation before focusing on her next move.

Susanoo performed some hand seals with her right hand – 'Ox', 'Ram', 'Monkey', 'Dragon' – and murmured the word '_B__ē__ru_'. She immediately felt the shift in her body, especially in her ribcage area and in her essence signature; the heartbeat gradually slowed down until it became quiet in her ears, but still present in her chest, and her presence was reduced. Only the inward scalding hot sensation of her flames and Kali's foul presence remained firm and solid. Once she felt that the jutsu was complete and the concealment in place, Susanoo silently walked towards the window to unlock it.

_You'd think they'd make a point to secure the windows of their headquarters,_ she thought as she easily opened it and slipped through the opened crack like a snake. Doing a handstand once she was fully inside, she performed multiple cartwheels to head down the stairs, but quickly resorted to jumping down until she reached the floor where she'd located Ōbi in his office. As silent as a shadow, Susanoo poked her head out to scan the hallways left and right—no one was there and she couldn't sense anyone else's essence other the captain's. She'd come bright and early to the 8th, so she should be fine for the time being. Licking her lips, she crept stealthily out of her hiding place to move towards Kusakabe Shinra.

Her legs broke into a silent, rapid run despite her uniform pants and boots, and Susanoo allowed them to bring her to Devil's Footprints; she was a fast blue and black blur through hallways, guided by her senses. Her feet were lighter than usual, just a soundless tap on the floor because had she been a regular Fire Soldier without kunoichi training, she'd be loud as hell. Susanoo wasn't about to lose the element of surprise against the 8th, not when she was so close to Kusakabe. She was akin to a moth being attracted by hot, beautiful flames. Because his flames were, out of all the Fire Soldiers of the 8th, the 'brightest' according to her senses. This high and keen sensibility to Ignition Abilities was very useful, as this was a common technique used by the members of her clan. Thank you, ninja inheritage.

S he stopped in front of a door, most probably the two rookies' bedroom.  Susano o could feel them—his flames. Though he wasn't using them right now, it was like Kusakabe was surrounded by them; they were bright and...  _wait a minute, those flames of his feel strange_ , she thought with a frown as she got closer to the door. Her palm  stood in the air and almost touched the door,  only to stop inches from it. Blue flames licked  the skin  of her palm , bright and  a light in the lifting darkness of this hallway. They flickered a bit too wildly for  Susano o 's taste, whose  glowing mismatched eyes  narrowed in confusion for a few seconds before they widened in disbelief.  She even recoiled from the door, shocked to hell.

_ **He has it. The boy with the Devil's Footprints. He has it.** _

She could only nod numbly. Susanoo didn't need Kali's gleeful confirmation to know that Kusakabe Shinra was one of the potential 'descendants of the Sun God' (or whatever bullshit the Holy Sol Temple was capable of spewing to fuck with the population's minds) to hold the original, purest flame to exist on this dislocated, destroyed earth—the legendry Adolla Burst. Now _that_ might explain why her flames and sensitivity were reacting to his Ignition Ability, because the only flame that made her flames go wild was Amaterasu. And the energy she'd felt from the perpetual thermal energy plant had felt absolutely foul and bloody, which had shaken her so much that she'd sought out Benimaru and monopolised his attention nearly all night to tell him about her discovery. If Kusakabe had the Adolla Burst, then her father's concerns might be proven true should someone come after the teen. He'd be hunted, used for whatever purposes the clan still had no idea of...

_The clan_. She had to tell her father about Kusakabe Shinra and the Adolla Burst. Though Susanoo wasn't sure the Matsumoto would offer the teen protection without something in return, it would be nice of them for once as his security shouldn't be seen as a power grab in the Special Fire Force. They wouldn't gain anything from it, any way. The clan's interests could go to hell for a bit because if what was concerning her father was indeed about to be true, then the events of the Great Disaster might happen again in the future. The continents had already fallen to the flames, the Tokyo Empire needed to survive and outlive this earth. Wouldn't that be great if the Matsumoto finally chose to stop being neutral over major events that could threaten the lives of so many innocents? Unless the clan head or one of their 'gold mines' was threatened or killed, they wouldn't even bat a single eye. Susanoo called her flames back, folding her arms under her cleavage, and she leaned back against the wall to filter her thoughts.

Kusakabe Shinra. Adolla Burst. Dark forces at work in the shadows. Possible target for unknown reasons and purposes. That was already a lot to take in, especially since they were still in the dark about their enemies and their motives. Should the zealous worshippers of the Sun God from the Holy Sol Temple ever hear about him being a wielder of the original flame, they'd run to the Emperor to have him secured or something like that. Company 3rd's captain, Dr. Giovanni, would _love_ to have Devil's Footprints as his guinea pig and experiment on him (he'd probably drool behind his ridiculous mask, should he learn about Kusakabe), and there was no way in hell the Matsumoto would allow that thing to have his way with the boy.

Susanoo gritted her teeth and dragged a hand along her face, her mismatched eyes closed. More far-fetched secrets and mysteries were about to be unveiled, she was sure of it; if Princess Hibana's shady researches and results could be shared after having stolen said researches from Company 5th's base, then the Matsumoto could hatch a plan to protect Kusakabe. And finding answers to the Spontaneous Human Combustion could potentially lead to the clan finally coming out of their voluntary retreat from the Tokyo Empire to fight. That would be nice if they shed blood for the right reasons this time and not just because they 'felt like killing someone for the hell of it and fully enjoying it'.

Her ears suddenly perked up when she picked up movement, yawns and sleepy groans all around her from the other bedrooms and she opened her eyes. A smile graced her pouty lips and her visible eye gleamed in mischief; the residents of the 8th were all waking up. About time, because they had to work out and Susanoo was so looking forward to seeing the Devil's Footprints' flames in action and clash with hers.

“Out of bed, stupid knight,” a male voice snarled. “or Lieutenant Hinawa will drill our asses again because we woke up late.”

Another yawn. “Why must you be so loud this early in the morning, you damn devil? Such ungodly hour for a knight,” a second male voice groaned in exasperation. “I'm up, I'm up.”

“That's your fault for snoring so damn loud at night. By the way, you look so ridiculous when you sleep.”

Susanoo lifted an elegant brow in amusement. Bantering this early in the morning at the 8th? That was so reminiscent of her and her big brother. Benimaru had never been one to pester her this early, even though she'd be the first one up to enjoy the first morning lights of the sun, and he'd set her ass on fire if she ever tried to wake him at an ungodly hour. However, he was always the first to tease and set up the pranks whenever he wanted good food wars with her. And she and Sasuke would just go to 'war' with pranks at the Matsumoto compound, until their elder cousins put an end to their banter so they could either train or meditate. Good times, good times.

The door opened and the first Fire Soldier to come out was a young teen with ruby-pink eyes, shark-like teeth visible in an irritated snarl. Messy black fringed his face—his adorable face. He stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted Susanoo leisurely leaning on the wall in front of him, his eyes widening in surprise. The kunoichi smiled pleasantly as she studied him, head cocked to the side.

Behind him was a blond Fire Soldier of his age, obviously curious. His front bangs were pulled up into a top knot. “What the... hey, who are you? Another new recruit for the 8th?” he asked, poking his head from behind his dorm mate. His blue eyes looked her up from head to toe and noticed the symbol engraved on her arm band on the left sleeve of her midnight blue hoodie. “You're a Fire Soldier, from the uniform you're wearing...”

_Wow_. Up close, Kusakabe Shinra truly was something else and Susanoo wasn't talking about his looks. His aura itself seemed to be constantly growing under Captain Ōbi's care and command, though it was still relatively young and weak compared to all these veterans and Benimaru himself; his spirit seemed solid to her senses and could be nurtured in the right direction with the right people. And his flames? Susanoo had _never_ felt a flame as bright as Amaterasu, ever since she'd gone to the perpetual thermal energy plant with her cousins and twin brother the first time to feel its bloody energy. She'd been grateful that Karim had decided to show her Shinjuku on one of their dates, because the kunoichi had been sickened by the foul energy coming from the energy plant.

But Shinra's flames felt different than Amaterasu. Pure and just... warm. In the opposite way of hers. They were so much more than the damn blue flames of the Matsumoto, even though it was such a beautiful colour that she absolutely loved. Maybe it was because of the Adolla Burst he had no idea he possessed.

She stood straight with a smile and sauntered up to the two Fire Soldiers, her steps light on the floor and as graceful as those of a ballet dancer. They didn't have much time to react accordingly that she was already inches away from Kusakabe, leaning down on him in a slight gust of wind. Her visible eye gleamed as she looked at the black-haired boy in the eye. Both boys jumped, startled, and Shinra's face twisted into a very nervous, very wide shark-toothy smile as the older Fire Soldier came up to him. Though he didn't mean to, his ruby-pink eyes strayed down to her generous cleavage covered by a black tank top. Nervous or not, he was still a man and was obviously of gorgeous women. Blinking in surprise, Susanoo took two steps back to maintain some distance between them, but her smile never disappeared as it even softened.

What an... interesting reaction from him. Shinra definitely was nervous: the way his smile just stretched and how his heartbeat suddenly picked up betrayed how uncomfortable he'd just been with her sudden closeness. Had he been a target she was to seduce and kill as a kunoichi on a mission, Kusakabe Shinra would have been dead before he could cope a feel of her full breasts. And _Karim_? The devil knows what he'd have done to the rookie if his eyes had stayed longer on her chest or legs...

“You shine bright and strongly, Kusakabe Shinra,” she chimed, her eye gleaming. “Can I see if your flames are just as strong as I believe they are?”

Shinra blinked. “My... flames?” he repeated, lost and very nervous. “E-Excuse me lady, but... _who_ are you?”

“Is that how you address a fair maiden who's come to visit the castle? Such uncouth manners that are expected from a devil, I'm not even surprised you're stuttering,” Boyle Arthur snarked in derision, scoffing as he stood next to Shinra.

Arthur insulting him had Devil's Footprints snap his head at the blond and snarl in restrained anger, while Susanoo was left staring at him in quiet disbelief. _'Fair maiden'?_ What the actual hell was this Fire Soldier even thinking? This was the most incredulous thing she'd been called in a long while, and not even Karim had used such ridiculous name to insult her before they fell for each other and started dating. In fact, Lyon Vastia had never called Juvia a 'fair maiden' back when she was still alive.

Shaking her head, Susanoo took off her midnight blue hood and promptly bowed to the two rookies. “Call me curious but I was intrigued by you when I heard that you joined the Special Fire Force, Kusakabe Shinra,” she said smoothly. “So I just _had_ to meet you, even though my captain attempted to prevent me from doing so.” She straightened again and properly saluted the two rookies this time around – right hand on her right temple. “I'm Lieutenant Fire Soldier Matsumoto Susanoo, of Company 7th.”

After hearing her superior rank and the Company she was in, both boys immediately straightened as well and saluted her. Very well-trained soldiers.

“Second-class Fire Soldier Shinra Kusakabe of Company 8th,” Devil's Footprints declared.

“Second-class Fire Soldier Arthur Boyle, knight king of Company 8th,” Arthur chimed in.

Then he did something absolutely _extraordinary_: he caught Susanoo's hand and, to her utter dismay, knelt in front of her with a smirk he must believe was breath-taking and charming for her. He bowed his head deeply, his hand over his heart—exactly how chivalrous knights did it in books from the previous era. In the back of her head, she was sure that many (female) airheads had fallen for it. That must be why Shinra looked absolutely exasperated with him and ready to throw his ass out of the window.

“Your knight king at your service, o' fair maiden of Company 7th,” Arthur declared smoothly before kissing the back of her hand like a real knight to a princess.

What. The. Hell? Speechless. Susanoo was just speechless. She wasn't sure if this rookie was completely deluded or he was being serious but, in any case, that wasn't even funny or flattering. At all. This kind of vocabulary would make a hopeless romantic swoon and melt like gooey marshmallow, to which her past self would have probably fallen in love with and started swooning. Not the kunoichi of this universe, who was already taken and in love with a bad-tempered, brash but incredibly sexy priest. She took her hand back from Boyle, her expression now a bit neutral and indifferent.

“I came to the 8th to spar with you, Kusakabe Shinra,” she declared in a smooth voice. Her eye gleamed softly as the boy blinked up at her and she nodded slowly. “Not to look for a knight. And since I managed to get in here with disturbing ease, the least I can get is a fight with the famous Devil's Footprints.”

“Uh...”

_Danger from the right._

Immediately alert, Susanoo allowed her body to swiftly and gracefully move out of the way as a fist missed her face. Her senses screamed again and she sidestepped again to avoid a well-placed kick, her body moving fluidly. She caught sight of fierce eyes the colour of the most magnificent shade of purple she'd ever seen, black hair tied into a ponytail and a focused expression on the pretty girl. The first-class soldier struck a flurry of rapid and powerful blows and kicks, which the kunoichi avoided with relative ease, until she got bored; Susanoo blocked the oncoming fist with her forearm, then snaked it around Oze Maki's to lift it and strike many tense points at lightning speed with her other fist, startling the girl who recoiled with an expression of pain and a startled gasp. The kunoichi didn't give her any time to recover and struck her chest with her palm, putting enough force to send her flying backwards. Oze Maki flew until she hit the wall hard at the end of the hallway, almost leaving a dent in it.

The Fire Soldier let out another pained gasp, eyes wide in disbelief at the sudden pain, before she crumbled helplessly to the ground. She still managed to catch herself on her knees, her breathing laboured and coughing harshly.

“Maki!” Shinra exclaimed, his vermillion eyes wide in shock.

Arthur wasn't far behind, gaping at the two women. “The ogress... defeated? No way,” he stammered, bewildered. He recovered quickly though, his eyes now glaring at Susanoo. “How can you be stronger than our resident ogress? Are you a secret assassin?”

_Something like that, yeah_, she thought with a tinge of amusement. Susanoo blew out rebellious locks of hair to push them out of her eyes and glanced towards a scowling Kusakabe Shinra, who dropped into a fighting stance and whose feet were now surrounded by bright red flames. They were intense, but not as hot for the time being. She dropped into the Matsumoto fighting stance, palms open and a beautiful grin on her face.

“As I was saying,” Susanoo almost purred smoothly before suddenly vanishing out of thin air in a flurry of bright blue will-o-wisps. She reappeared behind a confused Shinra, her katana drawn and now close to cutting his head off. The blade was sharp against the teen's neck, grazing his skin. “I came here to spar with _you_ alone, not with your comrades. Though they're more than welcome if they want to join in the fight.”

Shinra was tense, his face stuck in his nervous yet pissed off grin. “_You_...” he ground out, anger rolling off his tone and body in waves. “What do you think you're doing?”

“Nothing that would endanger you, I promise. Like I said, I want to see your flames and nothing else. Oh, careful!” Susanoo smiled as she maneuvered Shinra's body by wrapping her free arm around him and pulling him out of the way just in time before Arthur's plasma blade could even graze them. “Can you please go easy with your sword? I heard that plasma can even cut through steel, should the wielder be powerful enough, and I'd like to keep your friend alive so we can spar. Also, I love Samehada!”

“That stupid-ass knight isn't my friend!”

“That useless devil isn't my friend!”

They'd both shouted those sentences at the same time, glaring at each other afterward and almost forgetting the intruder that had nearly sent their female gorilla through a wall. Susanoo could only blink in amazement and amusement, moving Shinra along with her to avoid Arthur's strikes very easily.

“Oh,” she merely said, eye wide and shining in mirth. “Fine, let's play that way.”

“Wha—_Hey!_” Shinra exclaimed when the kunoichi forcefully pushed him towards Arthur.

The two Fire Soldiers barreled into each other and nearly toppled on the ground in a orange heap, already insulting one another. Susano sheathed her sword back, assessing the situation with alert eyes and her senses. Behind them, Oze Maki was slowly getting up and looked like she wanted to go for another round, if the determined expression set on her face was any indication that she was readying up for a second lesson. Her left arm lay limp at her side, completely useless. Not only that, but she could sense that their little scuffle had finally attracted attention. Hurried footsteps indicated that the last members of Company 8th were heading their way, so she was about to meet everyone in a matter of seconds. Good, good.

Humming pleasantly, she passed a hand into her hair to push away the rebellious bangs out of her eyes, relaxed her pose, thus confounding the three younger Fire Soldiers, and turned around just in time to see Ōbi Akitaru, Hinawa Takehisa and the Sister appear at the other end of the hallway. Their eyes immediately zeroed in on the intruder that didn't belong in their squad, quickly assessing her.

“What the hell is going on here? And why is there a Fire Soldier... from _Company 7__th_... fighting you three?” the captain exclaimed loudly in confusion, just as his lieutenant was raising his gun and was aiming at Susanoo. Ōbi looked absolutely incredulous, staring at the kunoichi in obvious bewilderment. “How did you get in here?”

Susanoo smiled pleasantly at him, hands in the pockets of her uniform trousers. “I wanted to meet Devil's Footprints because I was interested in him and his Ignition Ability, so I came directly here to the 8th, as you couldn't have come to Asakusa since my captain despises you,” she finished with a chuckle, her Ying Yang eyes crinkling. “Oh, and I used the rooftop, unlocked a window and just came in. Oze Maki attacked me first, but I'll attribute this to the fact that I'm the one at fault for sneaking into your headquarters unannounced and uninvited. Simple as that.”

“Just like that?” the captain asked, blinking.

“Just like that. Were you expecting something else from me?”

Apparently, that seemed to be exactly what everyone had been thinking. Susanoo could actually hear their minds screaming _'Yes!'_, as her uninvited presence at the 8th could be seen as a potential threat. That was very funny of them to think along those lines, though she couldn't blame them—she definitely _was_ at fault here! There was a stunned silence in which all eyes were drawn to Susanoo, wide in disbelief. The kunoichi merely kept smiling, very relaxed despite the fact that she was held at gunpoint by Lieutenant Hinawa and surrounded by many Fire Soldiers. Was she kidding or being completely serious?

A rasped cough echoed from behind as Maki made her way towards them. “That blow to my chest was powerful enough to obstruct my lungs for a bit,” she groaned, patting her chest with her functioning arm. Her voice was hoarse because of the coughing. “I was _really_ close to passing out.”

“But you didn't because I didn't intend to kill you, Maki-san,” Susanoo chimed, bending her body backwards to look at Maki upside down. She stood easily on one foot, balancing herself perfectly with her hands in her pockets. Peaceful mismatched Ying Yang eyes met confused purple eyes. “The pain will fade soon and you'll be able to breathe normally without any lasting consequences. Oh, and as for that limp arm of yours, I will unlock your tenketsu points—if you'd let me?”

She blinked twice, still confused by the honorific the kunoichi used. She looked back towards her captain and lieutenant for permission, with Susanoo following her gaze to watch the exchange between Ōbi and his subordinates. She straightened back onto her two feet, patiently observing everyone; Shinra and Arthur were still staring at her with distrusting eyes, Hinawa was still holding her at gunpoint and the Sister still looked worried that a showdown might explode right in the middle of the hallway. However, Susanoo smiled when the captain nodded his consent, with his lieutenant choosing to follow him by lowering his weapon. The threat may have been averted. _For now_, she thought as she turned back to Maki to take care of her arm.

They all seemed interesting to her, much like Company 7th with Hinata and Hikage as the rambuctious and hyperactive children who were Benimaru's female parrots, Konro whom she saw as another father figure, Benimaru as the twin brother who knew her like the back of her hand, and all their troops who followed them. Susanoo was eager to see if they were just as her family back in Asakusa, if the 8th could be worth striking a friendship with them. _Maybe I can convince Beni to share a cup of sake with __Ō__bi if things go smoothly between us_, she thought as she followed all members towards the rooftop for their morning exercise.

That is, if Lieutenant Hinawa was done glaring at her with such straight eyes. Although Susanoo was used to being stared at with the most of the time unreadable eyes and unnerving gazes of her relatives (she could have do the same), she'd like to think that this man was still kind and just to his teammates. Time to see if she was wrong or not.

* * *

“I'm pretty sure we haven't done anything to upset you, so I really need to be certain that your presence here at the 8th isn't a warning of an impeding bloodshed from your family,” Ōbi told Susanoo as he lifted his weights. His brown eyes, though droopy like Karim's were, were sharp and taking her in. “Is the shinobi clan still neutral towards the Special Fire Force, the Tokyo Empire, the army and the church?”

She'd expected that one, to be completely honest. Whoever had the slightest knowledge of the Matsumoto's macabre history of bloodshed through generations to this day of the Solar Calendar would be incredibly wary of anyone possessing their infamous Ying Yang-shaped eyes, the Matsumoto crest on the back of their clothes (a blue and black leaf that strangely looked like a Lotus flower) and the blue leaf tattoo over their eye, so she wasn't surprised. Karim had been extremely cautious towards her at first, due to her being a kunoichi from such infamous shinobi clan, and she hadn't blamed him. At all. Even everyone in Asakusa had been very suspicious of Susanoo when she'd first appeared in the district, desiring nothing else than being accepted as one of their own despite still being a daughter of the Matsumoto. It took them time, but they came to accept her. And it had been worth it.

Susanoo nodded to the older man, her face unreadable.

“You people of the 8th have nothing to fear, the clan has no interest in you,” she declared silkily to the exercising captain. Her eye surveyed all the other members watching her like a hawk and she crossed her arms under her cleavage. “I'll be blunt: for now, the Matsumoto doesn't even care about Company 8th and your dwellings, as it doesn't benefit them in any way. They consider you as... outsiders?”

Hinawa scoffed in derision. “And this is coming from a shinobi belonging to a clan of murderers who have a bloodthirst as insatiable as their killing intent,” he said coldly, pushing up his glasses. “What, we're not big enough for you to take us seriously?”

Goddamn, the guy didn't mince his words. That said, he was right about everything he just said to shock the rookies and the other two members—the faces they were making were hilarious. However, she maintained her facade perfectly schooled and merely smiled at the lieutenant without showing any emotion. Though he didn't flinch, she could tell he didn't like her smile; the Matsumoto knew how to make people very unnerved because it was fun to throw them off before a bloodshed.

“That's the Matsumoto for you, Hinawa-san,” Susanoo almost purred, though it held no warmth and amusement whatsoever. “That doesn't mean every shinobi from the clan is shaped to think and act like them, there are exceptions—as few there may be, decent people hail from my family.”

“Are we supposed to believe you're one of those 'decent people'?” he retorted.

“Did you also base your judgement about Kusakabe by using his background and mocked his heartfelt intentions to become a token of hope in the Fire Force?” Susanoo shot back smoothly. “Must have been very nice of you, lieutenant.”

The flinch she saw and the hurried quickening of heartbeats she heard from Maki and Shinra were almost satisfying. Almost. Her visible eye gleamed in cold glee and her smile dimmed a little. Growing a backbone after being reborn in this kind of family and universe had never felt this good and Susanoo _loved_ this. Gajeel Redfox would have been proud. She pushed up the locks covering her left eye, blinking her mismatched Ying Yang eyes at the 8th. Hinawa didn't flinch, but she picked up how his fingers curled up slightly. Did he want to shoot her square in the head?

She stared at the straight-faced Fire Soldier in the eyes, her expression just as unreadable. “I've always believed that your past shouldn't define you, no matter how messed up it is because it's part of your character,” Susanoo declared coolly. “But you're right about the Matsumoto—we _are_ murderers and we've never contradicted anyone about this fact because the bloodthirst brewing in each of us is a dangerous seductress we'd always give in to when facing a foe. Our history is nothing but bloody generations shaped by the skeletons of our enemies and victims, I admit it and won't ever deny what we are. Shinobi are trained to kill and that _never_ changed, not even to this day. Not even when we're the last shinobi clan alive.”

The atmosphere, which had long become already tense because Company 8th was still distrustful towards the kunoichi, was now icy cold and very nerve-wracking. So harrowing that Captain Ōbi had stopped his weight-lifting half-way through Susanoo's words and was looking at her with unreadable eyes. Shinra, Arthur, Maki and the Sister all looked ashen, deeply disturbed by her words and almost as if they were about to throw up. The fear was also there, as a poignant emotion they were trying hard to swallow back and conceal, but she still felt it. Idly, Susanoo noticed that this was how everyone used to look at her at first in Asakusa, despite Benimaru's soothing words and Konro's unwavering faith in her. And the whispers? The words? The names?

_'Death's right hand', 'The Matsumoto dance and consort with death, as they will do anything for blood', 'How can Beni and Konro believe that bringing one of the harbingers of doom and death into our homes will help us think that they've changed?' 'Born in darkness and madness, they will forever choose the path of the shadows of death, as the call of blood always calls to them'._

Enough, Susanoo had had enough of hearing all those goddamn things hurled at her because she was born into that clan. That clan that mastered the foul 'Pressure of Death' and made its sons and daughters master it as well once they found out they were Third Generations, making their red flames turn blue. As foul and bloody as their past was ages ago, the Matsumoto had changed drastically due to another bloody event that changed them all to the core and forced them to become neutral. She belonged to the clan, she knew—which hardened her will to be someone else in Asakusa, because her journey had to start there with Benimaru and Konro. Thugs they were, they'd taught her so many things that Susanoo could never think of betraying them to go back to the maddening ways of the Matsumoto. Then Karim came and... sealed everything for her before she could even comprehend that falling in love with this brash, bad-tempered priest would be her sweet salvation from the macabre curse of her clan.

She narrowed her eyes at Hinawa ever slightly. “However, you shouldn't be burdened and punished for the sins of the clan when you have nothing to do with these past macabre deeds as you weren't even born at their prime. Leave everything in the past and look forward, as painful as it may be for those who are familiar with the Matsumoto's history. What the hell makes you think _you_ can judge _me_, all of you? Who the hell are you? You don't know me and I'm a complete stranger to you. I didn't join your Company, I'm not one of your rookies. I've got nothing, _nothing_ to reproach myself because the sins of my ancestors have absolutely nothing to do with me. I never murdered anyone because I've got a problem with my bloodthirst—but that could happen if triggered the right way.” Susanoo released her hair, leaning back against the railing and threw her head back to stare emotionlessly at the sky. She hadn't even had one spar yet and she was already emotionally tired. “We've been punished for our deeds, any way, and we've come to terms with our sins. Spare me the accusations and insults, I've had my share over the years and sympathy isn't something I'm looking for. Just like _Shinra_.”

Yeah. Just like him. Exactly like him. Susanoo could understand him and the damn predicament he must have gone through over the years because of what happened to him. How many times had he had to hear people insulting him as he waltzed past them? How many times had he listened to their words, the disgust and judgement dripping from their mouths because they were all thinking the same thing? And how many times had he broken down in secret because he was emotionally exhausted of people treating him like the devil he actually wasn't? The kid was really strong to have held on all this time, because someone much more weak-willed would have committed suicide at an early age.

Suffice to say, Susanoo admired Shinra's willpower and she didn't even know him yet.

Ōbi cleared his throat loudly, eager to break the disturbing silence that had befallen them. “Alright, training starts now!” he declared in his strong voice. “Hinawa!”

“Let's begin!” the lieutenant called out to everyone, strict and authoritarian. “Shinra, you're up against Maki!”

Devil's Footprints, who'd been staring at Susanoo with one of the most solemn expressions ever, jumped up and saluted his superior. “R-Right!” he responded, jogging to join the other subordinates.

Though the need to mull over this altercation with Hinawa was very strong, Susanoo sighed deeply and finally decided to watch the spar. She lazily shifted her head back down, her gaze now dull and disturbingly emotionless as it zeroed in on the figures of Maki and Shinra. Though he could avoid blows, Devil's Footprints was still very inexperienced, trying to read the other's movements, and Oze was a beast—she was well-trained. Was it because she was an army brat raised in a army family? Kusakabe counted on his mobility and footwork to fight, so his movements were most of the time fluid, but his opponent was tougher. Hand-to-hand combat really came easy for her, which could explain the muscles.

Oze dropped low and swung a leg towards her opponent, aiming to trip him, but Shinra avoided it by doing a backflip and another to create some distance between them. The military girl quickly jumped to her feet and ran towards him to drill him with more blows and kicks, until he finally used his Ignition Ability to fly away from her. Not fazed by it, Oze raised one arm and aimed her hand at him, her purple eyes glowing. To Susanoo's slight surprise, the flames at Shinra's feet transformed into... fireballs with _faces_?

“_Sputter, spu__uuuu__tter __~_?” the... things uttered in a high-pitched voice.

Susanoo blinked once, her eyes still dull and emotionless. “Hm...?” she hummed disinterestedly.

“This again?!” Kusakabe exclaimed, instantly extinguishing his flames.

When he was about to fall back on his feet, Oze struck a palm into his gut as hard as she could to send him away. Susanoo followed his flight with mild interest. His vermillion eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets and he gasped in pain when his back hit the destroyed water tank in a loud clang, against which he hung there comically for a few seconds before he finally fell on the ground. He managed to catch himself on all fours, his limbs trembling a little as he tried hard to catch his breath. Arthur scoffed, smirking with his eyes closed and an arrogant expression on his face.

“Seems like this scourge of evil still can't best the ogress,” he commented casually, tying the top of his orange jumpsuit around his waist. “Then I shall the one to slay her. Have at thee!”

Apparently, the insult seemed to enrage Oze as she suddenly rounded up on Arthur, her eyes alight with red hot anger and mild killing intent. Her pretty face contorted, becoming twisted. Her aura shifted as well, becoming intense. Susanoo lifted an elegant brow at this display, crossing her arms under her heavy cleavage and even walking a bit closer from her previous position. She stood next to Captain Ōbi, who spared her a curious glance before focusing back on the spar. Hinawa didn't even bother acknowledging her presence.

“Who are you calling a muscled gorilla cyclops?!” she raged, angry tick marks appearing over her muscled arms and head.

Susanoo blinked again, this time in confusion. “That's... not even close to what he called her,” she murmured to the older man next to her.

“Yeah, well... my subordinates have their own quirks that make them quite unique,” Ōbi answered with a light chuckle, watching as Maki went overboard on Arthur.

Her visible eye watched closely as Arthur attempted to shake off the still enraged Oze Maki, eventually failing to defeat as she performed well-placed kicks and blows to various, sensible parts of his body. He crashed on the ground, coughing and groaning in pain.

“She's well-trained,” Susanoo commented with a slight smile. Her eye gained a gleam of mischief. “If she gets picked on or hit on, I guess the poor souls are doomed to spend some days at the hospital and get treated for some serious injuries?”

Ōbi burst out laughing, throwing his head back. “I don't know about that, you'll have to ask her!”

“Hm.”

_Probably_, Susanoo thought with a small smile as she recalled how she used to get either picked on or hit on (only by those who didn't know a damn thing about the Matsumoto clan). It used to be really heartbreaking to constantly listen to those awful words about her because she was a daughter of the clan that danced with death, as she wasn't ignorant about her ancestors' horrible misdeeds even before the Great Disaster that dislocated the world. Biting back would only aggravate the clan's already ill reputation, so she clamped back on her replies—though, she had to admit, she'd tormented a few bullies, could have them killed in macabre ways because she'd thought of so many ways to end their pathetic lives, and had _loved_ it. That, her father had taught her and her siblings during their training, was the influence of the Matsumoto bloodthirst.

And as Susanoo grew up to become a gorgeous woman people could finally trust, the insults lessened to allow compliments and lecherous comments about her body curves take their place. That had been a very disturbing change for her for a long while, as she'd been used to so many insults about herself and her kinsmen. Until Karim. Their relationship had started off very badly, with each other firing shot after shot and nearly coming to blows, then slowly grew stronger, more honest, until both finally admitted their feelings to each other. Susanoo will never forget the emotions that had overwhelmed her mind and body when Karim kissed her passionately, pressing her body against his with one hand tangled in her light blue hair and the other one grabbing her ass, all the while backing her up against the wall of a discreet back alley in Shinjuku. It was like being lit on fire.

“_So,” he'd breathed hoarsely against her lips, his dark eyes intense and swimming in growing lust. “Looks like I can now have my revenge on you for that unexpected intercourse that was not an expected intercourse the other day, after all.” Karim's smirk was feral as he pushed his forehead against Susanoo's, taking in the cute blush and the dazed eyes. “Let's celebrate this official relationship somewhere more private. Okay?”_

The changes had been more than welcome. And Susanoo still thanked her stars for being this strong-willed, as she could have broken a fucking long time ago due to this hatred towards the Matsumoto. Blinking, the kunoichi refocused on reality and lifted a curious brow when she noticed Shinra and Arthur in front of her.

“Excuse me, lieutenant, but... didn't you say you wanted to spar?” Kusakabe asked hesitantly.

“Yes, and I still can't believe this lovely maiden is willing to allow a devil like you to fight her,” Arthur quipped, snorting arrogantly. His high ponytail flicked as he did so, making Susanoo blink at the small and strange phenomenon. “You should be grateful that she's gracing you with her precious time.”

Shinra scowled disbelievingly at him. “Didn't you hear Lieutenant Hinawa? Lieutenant Matsumoto is from a ninja clan—the last one in the Tokyo Empire, so they're trained fighters who can kick our asses any time,” he hissed at the 'knight king'.

There was a slight gust of wind and, in one very fast blur of black and blue, Susanoo stood between the two Fire Soldiers. With a wide grin akin to Shinra's shark smile and a small dose of bloodlust, she leaned in towards his ear.

“And master killers as well, _De-vil's Foot-prints_,” she murmured in a smooth purr.

Both boys barely had time to blink before Susanoo struck two fingers on either side of their heads at lightning speed to stun them. Shinra and Arthur both gasped in pain, their eyesight losing focus and becoming blurry, and tried hard not to stumble on their own feet as the world spun around them. Using the small distance the two rookies unwittingly created between the three of them, Susanoo lifted one leg high up in the air and spun on the toes of the other, doing so gracefully like a ballerina and gradually gaining speed until she used said leg to bring her foot down on Arthur's head—very hard. Though she'd controlled her strength to not deal a fatal blow to the rookie's cranium and kill him unwittingly, she still managed to build a crater beneath him. The blonde knight, who hadn't been able to whithstand the blow on his feet and whose legs had buckled to his knees the second Susanoo's foot connected with his head, let out one last hoarse grunt of pain before crumbling to the floor facefront, out cold and his eyes having rolled to the back of his head.

Gasps of shock echoed from the other members of Company 8, especially Maki and Shinra. “_Arthur!_” they both shouted, stunned as hell to see him defeated so easily and quickly.

“Calling me a 'fair maiden' when I'm really far from it would be his mistake in a battle for his life,” Susanoo declared, her voice now soft and smooth. She gracefully balanced herself back on her two feet, like a swan, and faced Shinra with a calm face and a smile that concealed all of her emotions. “I'm a shinobi and if you know our history, we shinobis are trained to be cold-blooded killers when faced with opponents who have no qualms about trying to take our lives. We learn to conceal our emotions, as there's no dignity and joy in taking someone's life—even though this had been the Matsumoto's nindo for a very long time until we learnt to become more human. That said, there's no such thing as fair-play when you're fighting to live.”

She leaned into Shinra, her face dangerously close. The boy flinched, but didn't step back.

“And that, Devil's Footprints, is how the Matsumotos train their sons and daughters. No matter how inhuman and insane the training is, we have to survive despite dancing with death until it catches us in its unholy hands. Now, how about we finally put that footwork of yours to the test with my hand-to-hand fighting style?” She pulled away from Kusakabe, only to face the barrel of a gun. Susanoo raised her eyes to look at a straight-laced Hinawa, but she could sense his anger. “I didn't kill Arthur-san, just knocked him out to show him that I'm no lady and that foolishness could prove fatal to him if he's not careful. Check his pulse.”

“You like pushing your luck, don't you?” Hinawa ground out, his eyes already glowing bright gold.

The smile on Susanoo's feline face turned devious and insane. “Remember: we Matsumoto eagerly dance with death,” she purred, her own visible eye glowing to life as well.

The lieutenant pushed the barrel of his gun against her forehead almost painfully, his finger ready to pull the trigger that will either leave her out cold or attempt to end her life. There was no mercy in his eyes. Just for the hell of it, Susanoo also pushed back against the barrel with an insane look in her gaze. She could barely register Oze Maki's alarmed voice and the Sister's concerned voice, pleading Hinawa not to shoot and provoke a feud between two Fire Force Companies and the Matsumoto clan. _That should be entertaining to witness—come on! __Come on, come on!_ She was starting to burn extremely hot, her body engulfed in her own blue flames though there weren't any surrounding her physically. The 'Superfire' was calling for her, appealing to her madness and her killing intent, and Susanoo oh so desired to respond with an affirmative. She only needed Hinawa to pull the trigger first. _Come on, come on! Allow me to show you how __fear and__ death—_

She hadn't even noticed that she was already swinging towards the lieutenant, her fingers outstretched as if to crush his eyes through his glasses. Susanoo knew she was going fast, but it was as if she was going in slow motion.

“ENOUGH!”

The voice was so strong and authoritarian that Susanoo was instantly reminded of her father, whose face flashed in her mind; his identical Ying Yang mismatched eyes were looking down at her with that emotionless look every Matsumoto used whenever their killing intent was triggered, either during training sessions and lessons or battles with Infernals. And whenever her father shouted at her to keep going despite the excruciating pain, his voice carried the same tone as Ōbi. The strength behind it may not be the same, but it was enough to snap her back to reality.

Her mind reacted well before her body; her expression cleared from all madness and bloodlust in the span of two seconds, her eyes wide. Her hand stopped just inches away from Hinawa's eyes, her fingers almost touching the glasses. Susanoo vanished from her position in front of everyone in a gust of blue flames and just in the blink of an eye. All members of Company 8th blinked and looked around, startled by the very sudden disappearance of the kunoichi.

“W-Where did she go?” Maki wondered out loud.

“Her expression was one of a mad beast about to go on a bloody rampage and her killing intent was slowly growing...until she heard the captain's voice,” Shinra remarked, his voice faint and his face ashen. He swallowed uneasily too, his vermillion eyes still wide in sheer fear. He was also shivering, unable to move his legs. “It's as if you stopped her, Captain...”

Ōbi looked more confused by the whole ordeal and he lifted an incredulous brow. “What? How? All I did was yell so you'd stop trying to kill each other.”

“And that was all I needed to snap out of it, Captain Ōbi. Your _voice_.”

All eyes looked up. Up on the destroyed water tank was Susanoo, crouching on top of it and balancing herself on it without any problem. Her expression had considerably softened and her visible eye had lost all emotions of bloodlust—the air itself was now lighter around her, calm as a spring. It was as if she hadn't been about to shed blood and kill them all. Shinra shivered as he peered at her wide eye, which was focused up ahead without seeing anything. It was as if she'd just... blanked out. Mind altogether.

“W-What do you mean?” Sister Iris asked in a trembling voice, shielded behind Maki.

Very slowly, Susanoo looked down at them. “The Matsumoto training includes being trained in building up our bloodlust and killing intent, thus lapsing into a mode that can be triggered by a monstruous need to fight. Fight to defeat, fight to live, fight to survive—fight to _kill_,” she pronunced the last word strongly, her eye staring straight at Ōbi. He maintained eye contact with her without flinching. “We use that mode whenever we sense that our lives are in extreme danger and since it's been drilled into us ever since we started learning about the 'Breath of life' and the 'Pressure of Death', the lapse into this killing mode became instantaneous for all of us. And only the voice of an alpha is enough to snap us out of it, but the strength behind it must be familiar fo us to come back to reality.”

Hinawa blinked. “The 'voice of an alpha'... like the captain's? Because he's the authoritarian voice we all listen to and respect?” he asked, lowering his weapon.

Susanoo nodded, breathing a deep sigh of relief. “Captain Ōbi's voice reminded me of my father's when he used it to snap me and my relatives out of the killing modes during training. It had the same effect on my mind, so I reverted back to myself very easily. When you think about it, the Matsumoto are akin to savage bloodhounds when fighting for their lives and I'm no exception.” She slowly, gracefully stood up to jump down and landed lightly in front of the members of Company 8. With that said, Susanoo didn't hesitate to bow low in front of them, her eyes shut. “Though you don't know me at all, it shames me to have almost slipped when I had no reason to. Please accept my sincerest apologies if I scared you all to death. The fault is entirely mine.”

She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, her nails planted into her palms. Was she ashamed? _Yes_, Susanoo truly was. There was no excuse for nearly going into killing mode because she'd been facing the barrel of a gun, as she'd only come to the 8th to meet Kusakabe Shinra and Boyle Arthur—though the latter didn't really interest her. She'd come to spar with him and see how beautifully his flames shone, not go insane on Company 8 and most possibly go on a bloody rampage. Suffice to say, Susanoo nearly failed herself and all she stood for, meaning that she needed more self-control and meditation to not lapse into the modes so easily.

Someone cleared his throat. “You may not be from my Company but as a captain, my advice for you is to work on self-control so you can fight without killing unnecessarily,” Ōbi declared. Susanoo opened her eyes and raised her face to gaze at the captain, finding his expression to be stern, but not unkind. “If I understood half of what you've just told us about this training of yours, then you most certainly need an anchor to pull you out before the unforgivable is done.”

Oh, she could think of many anchors—her twin brother Sasuke, Benimaru, Konro, Karim, her younger brothers and eldest brothers, some of her cousins. There were many people she could put her faith in because she held them dear in her heart, valued their lives so much and loved them all. Susanoo didn't want to burden them all too much when they had their own lives to think about because her Matsumoto 'Pressure of Death' and killing modes could be triggered any time she was in grave danger. But... just in case, she should lean on them from time to time because they needed her too. Selflessness was good, but one should remember how to value her own life and understand how important it was. The Matsumoto taught her that, Benimaru and Konro also taught her that when they were both training.

Juvia Lockser would have screamed at her reincarnation in outrage and would be rolling in her grave if she knew how selfish she could get sometimes. And Gajeel Redfox would have... no, she didn't know what this Dragon Slayer would have done if he knew how different his late best friend's reincarnation was. It wasn't as if they'd meet.

Susanoo smiled fondly, straightening up.

“I've got many anchors to lean on in the 7th, Ōbi-san,” she responded, respect dripping from her tone. “Even in the clan. So I'm good.”

No way in hell would she tell them about Karim—that was their business. Although she was certain that Rekka must have already opened his mouth and revealed to anyone who wanted to hear it that Karim Flam had a girlfriend, the 8th still couldn't be that connected with the elite that was Company 1. Her boyfriend will have to confront the 'fired up' freak very soon if things got annoying with his fangirls (should he have more than Rekka).

The elder Fire Soldier gazed at her seriously for a few more seconds before a small smile broke out on his face and he gave her a thumbs up. “Alright then, work hard!”

“Hah? You're neither my captain or my father, sir,” Susanoo remarked with a cheek puffed up in a mock pout, cocking her head to the side. “So don't tell me to do what I know I should.”

“I'm gonna pretend you took my advice to heart and didn't talk back.”

“... Hm.” Yeah.

_I think I like this outsider_, Susanoo thought as the training resumed, while Sister Iris and Maki went to patch Arthur up and 'nurse him back to life'. Ōbi seemed to have his own nindo he followed with a firm dedication and a very strong heart, despite still being considered an outsider because Company 8 was a brand new squad. It seemed to be built on the captain's principles and beliefs, as he didn't seem swayed by the faith of the Holy Sol Temple or the Tokyo army. He didn't kiss ass and it showed. Still, their number was very tame compared to the other Companies because it was built on trust and confidence, but Susanoo had a feeling they'd be joined by others soon, all attracked by Ōbi Akitaru's charismatic aura.

Company 8 sounded like Company 7, as their spirits were the same. Benimaru would be good friends with Ōbi. If only she could convince her big brother to consider giving them a chance, he'd end up liking those guys at the 8th. Outsiders sometimes were the best ones to hang out with—or have a relationship with. _Like us, Karim_, Susanoo thought with a contented expression, sighing softly. She was an outsider too, but she and Karim somehow fit and worked.

Somewhere behind her, someone groaned in pain. “Where am I? Have I been slain and I ended up in Heaven?” he asked seriously.

Raising an amused brow, Susanoo smiled as she made her way towards the knight, who was sitting up. “It seems I haven't kick your head way too hard for you to stop being delusional,” she chimed, stopping in front of Arthur, who looked up at her with a frown. “Good, good. You've got a sturdy head on your shoulders. Wonder if it's the same for Shinra over there...?”

Said Devil's Footprints perked up with an affronted expression. “Hey, don't compare me to him! At least my kicks are more powerful than his sword attacks!” he exclaimed, coming up to her.

“Oh ~?” Susanoo's expression turned mischievous and her smile grew wide and teasing. “Then let's spar! Your footwork against mine! You too, chivalrous knight!”

Excitement and determination shone on the handsome and young recruit, who didn't seem to have problems jumping up to his feet. “If the lady deems me worthy of being her opponent along with the devil, then I shan't disappoint her and show my might,” Arthur declared boldly, proudly snatching up a cross-shaped sword.

Hinawa 'looked' interested. “You'll take on _both_ of them? On your own?” he asked, folding his arms.

Nodding, Susanoo made several handless cartwheels and backflips to where Maki was doing push-ups. “I did say that I wanted to see Kusakabe's flames, right? How about he uses his flames along with his footwork so I can test him? That way,” she finished her course on a handstand with one hand, next to the army girl. “I'll be able to witness your Ignition Abilities.”

She bent one leg forward to touch the ground, then her body followed slowly and gracefully like a contortionist, and gave Shinra and Arthur a beaming smile while beckoning them.

“I've only got ten minutes left before I have to head back to Asakusa.” _Where Benimaru might be waiting for me __with__ intentions of starting a food war with me. _“So, let's make it worthwhile. Okay?”

Shinra's answer was to smile his infamous devilish smile while Arthur snorted arrogantly, unsheathing his bladeless sword. Bright flames ignited at his feet, licking the skin. Elated, Susanoo got into the familiar Matsumoto fighting stance, palms out and showing.

“Have at thee!” Arthur exclaimed, dashing towards her.

“You're gonna get it, kunoichi girl!” Shinra also shouted, running towards his target as well.

Susanoo smiled wide, her blue Ying Yan eye glowing in excitement.

* * *

Maki swallowed uneasily. “She's a deadly Fire Soldier,” she murmured as she watched the spar with entranced eyes.

“The Matsumoto clan trains its sons and daughters to become tools of murder—weapons even, dare I say,” Ōbi added, his tone strangely bland. “They haven't given up on their deadly technique and their bloodlust, though they've become neutral after the Holy Sol Temple got involved in their business. I'm more intrigued and stunned that they've allowed one of their own to become a Fire Soldier...”

Though he remained silent, Hinawa had to agree—that kunoichi wasn't all talk and clearly backed up her words. He wasn't familiar with the Matsumoto fighting style as he'd never bothered with a shinobi clan of bloodthirsty murderers, but even he had to admit that it was deadly and powerful. Susanoo's body moved with deadly grace, unbothered by her heavy curves, and avoided Shinra and Arthur's blows with irritating ease. But that damn footwork of hers was the problem, as it was either too fast or too strong for both rookies. It hasn't even been three minutes and they'd already sustained blows that made them dizzy (like the two strikes against their temples), which Susanoo took advantage of. And she was _fast_. Hinawa could tell she wasn't giving it her all and was going easy on their recruits, but she was already too fast for his trained eyes; he was sure he missed some of her strikes, as her hands were too fluid and blurry. She _blurred_. All in all, Shinra and Arthur were too weak for now and she could thrash them. Easily.

Hinawa had never visited the 7th's district Asakusa, but if Susanoo Matsumoto came from there, then her captain must be twice as strong as she was. _Captain Benimaru Shinmon_, he thought just as Susanoo performed three cartwheels and one backflip to stand on Shinra's shoulders, thus balancing herself on the startled teen. The kunoichi smiled before kicking him towards Arthur, making them barrel into each other and both rookies crashed on the ground. It didn't take them a second to start bickering and insulting each other. Kids, kids, kids.

Her kicks could even create craters into the ground and Hinawa had the proof right next to him—Arthur could have had worse than a concussion to his head and it must be a miracle that this kunoichi hadn't cracked his skull (or maybe his head was that thick because he was the most delusional Fire Soldier he'd ever met in his life and it somehow protected him from further damage). Plus, her fists and fingers could be even deadlier than fists, if he believed Maki's statement from earlier after Susanoo had unblocked the 'tenketsu points' on her arm and the pain she'd felt after being struck in the chest. That technique, those movements, that monstruous killing intent—everything was developped to kill in so many ways and they hadn't even seen her Ignition Ability yet.

The Matsumoto, although the lieutenant knew next to nothing about them because he wasn't interested in protonationalists, were deadly opponents who used to dance with death ages ago and still did to this day. The way they must train their sons and daughters must be unhuman and insane, and how much worse could it be for those who've awoken their Ignition Abilities as Second and Third Generations? Were they all driven insane like Susanoo?

Still, Susanoo Matsumoto _was_ be a threat to the 8th. All shinobi from that ninja clan were threats. And until she was fully cleared in his book, then Hinawa would consider her as an ally.

Ōbi tensed, brows knitted together. “That's the Matsumoto technique? Very impressive,” he commented as Susanoo landed lightly on the edge of the rooftop, silent as a shadow. “But something tells me she hasn't shown all she's got and was holding back.”

“_A lot_,” Hinawa confirmed, his brown eyes drilling into the kunoichi's form. “She hasn't shown how much of a monster she can actually be if she's staring at death square in the eyes.”

* * *

**Author's Note 1:** So this was the second chapter, with more information on **Juvia**/**Susanoo**'s family and interaction with Company 8. Seems to be a lot, but not all, of course. No Karim in this chapter, though he's mentioned, but he's the main character in this following extra.

~ _II—How to bother Karim Flam? Ask him relationship advices (by Rekka Hoshimiya)_ ~

Whenever Karim was deeply irritated by either something or someone, he didn't bother mincing his words and was blunt to the point he'd be rude. So when he found himself the target of many awed and impressed glances and stares at the mess hall today (yet again), he knew he had to draw the fucking line. He leaned back in his chair with a scowl and surveyed the room with an annoyed stare.

“_What?_ What the hell are you noobs looking at?” he barked rudely.

Some of them turned away with a sheepish and frightened expression, others kept looking at him with stars in their eyes as if he'd become their god. Some even gave him thumbs up and bright smiles that made Karim blink in utter confusion. Next to him, Huo Yan coughed in his fist to conceal his smile.

“You don't know?” his blonde friend mused in wonder. “I'm actually surprised at your reaction, since you're the centre of their attention and admiration for once and not Rekka.”

Karim rounded up on him, brows knitted together. “Then spill it,” he hissed. “What the hell is going on?”

“Weren't you busy in your quarters the other day? With _someone_?”

He had a come back ready at the tip of his tongue but found himself silent as he stared at Huo Yan, flabbergasted. Karim _had been_ busy the other day—with Susanoo, because they'd yearned for each other and he'd wanted to hang out with his girlfriend. The lieutenant had missed her, though he didn't say it out loud, and she didn't need words to understand him. Karim had to silence her a bit, but that had been worth the scratches she'd left on his back (she'd left with a lot of lovebites all over her delicious body as well). But that was no one's fucking business, only theirs. He'd also made sure that they wouldn't be interrupted, as no one could be that stupid to even—

Karim's jaw dropped in shock. “Oh hell no, he _didn't_,” he growled.

Huo Yan nodded sheepishly, raising his glass to his lips. “I think he's jealous of you, Karim,” he supplied. “He's the most popular between the three of us with myriads of girls becoming smitten with his charisma, even little Tamaki's got a huge crush on him. Yet he doesn't have anyone... but _you_ do, despite your persona. He was quite upset to also find out that your girlfriend isn't just a regular citizen.”

“So? Does that really blow your mind that _I_ have found someone and not _him_?” Karim shot back, stabbing his steak with more force than required. “I swear, Rekka must have a death wish. Why doesn't he just pick one from his horde of fangirls in the Empire, since they're all ready to tear each other apart just to have a glimpse of his grinning star grins?”

Huo Yan chuckled, shaking his head. “It's not every day that a Fire Soldier gets to have _a Matsumoto kunoichi_ as a girlfriend, since they keep to themselves. For example, I was shocked to find out that you were seeing Lieutenant Susanoo Matsumoto of Company 7. More shocked to understand that it was serious and not just a casual fling between you two, since your relationship has been going steady for months now. Anyone who knows of the terrifying shinobi clan would be impressed that someone had managed to grab the attention of one of them, be it a woman or a man.” He turned towards Karim, who was looking more and more irritated. “Let alone start a romantic relationship with one. So Rekka's been wondering how you managed to pull it off and why not him.”

“So he tells the whole fucking Company that I've got myself a Matsumoto because he's jealous and now, everyone is looking at me as if I'd won the lottery. Good grief,” he growled again before taking a bite of his steak. He took the time to chew and swallow before pointing his knife at Matsuda. “You won't get a damn thing from me, Matsuda. Privacy should remain private with me.”

Matsuda made a face. “Lieutenant Flam, don't be so stingy and please share your experience with us!” he exclaimed with his hands clasped in front of him.

“Forget it,” Karim deadpanned.

“Did you impose yourself on her? She's from that shinobi clan, so she couldn't have been easy to impress.”

“This isn't happening,” he groaned, aggravated. Where the hell was Captain Burns when he needed him? “You're not gonna get anything, so piss off.”

“How did you two meet?” a female Fire Soldier asked, who was also a sister. “I heard that the Matsumoto clan mostly keep to themselves in the Asakusa District, as I've never seen even one of them in Shinjuku or any part of Tokyo. How do they buy their groceries?”

Dissimulation. They were shinobi. Fucking duh. It was so obvious that Karim had to force himself from rolling his eyes in irritation—Susanoo didn't have to tell him that to explain how she was able to sneak into the grounds of the cathedral without alerting someone, even though he was sure she didn't use any concealment. He learnt that from books at the Academy, which offered real tales of shinobi that used to exist ages ago. It was very disconcerting how easy it was to get onto the grounds of the Special Fire Force Company 1 and he agreed with his girlfriend that it could put them at disadvantage.

“They first met about a year ago, when Lieutenant Matsumoto was passing through Shinjuku,” Huo Yan revealed smoothly.

Dark eyes narrowed dangerously at the blonde, who was royally ignoring him with a pastry and a book. Around them, all their subordinates cheered and ran to their table, eager to listen more. Karim recoiled with a very pissed off expression, growling in frustration at the crowd around his table and staring at him with hopeful eyes.

“Piss off, you jackasses!” he shouted.

“Was it love at first sight?”

Hell no, it was 'hatred at first sight' and Karim was glad it turned out great at the end. He felt so peaceful and relaxed in her presence that he wouldn't even think about sharing or even breaking up with her.

“Did you hear me?”

“He insulted her, she insulted him back. That's how it started,” Huo Yan supplied yet again before turning a page from his book.

Silence in the mess hall. Everyone stared at an irritated Karim with wide eyes and dropped jaws, stunned to the core while Huo Yan looked absolutely content. He didn't even seem disturbed by the murderous aura slowly growing around his best friend, who was drilling him with a pissed off glare.

“All of you are on my shit-list, you shitheads,” he grounded out. “Especially _Rekka_.”

Huo Yan laughed lightly while questions were fired from right and left, overwhelming the Second Generation. And since some of these questions were getting too intimate, he saw red.

* * *

Later, after knocking some heads (literally _knocking_ because he needed the workout) on the training court, Karim lay peacefully on his bed, shirtless and his phone at his ear. He had a small, genuine smile on his handsome face while he listened to Susanoo's fit of giggles. Listening to her voice settled his mind and he found himself relaxing very easily, forgetting the past two hours. Good news, he was no longer scowling.

“I might have made some of them bleed, though they totally deserve it,” he said.

“_They must be too scared to approach you right now, as you mustn't have gone easy on them,”_ Susanoo laughed. _“To be honest, you should have seen this coming.”_

“From Rekka? Totally. Don't worry, he's next on my shit-list. By the way, are you still coming over after the Rookie Fire Soldier Games?” He sat up on his bed, his eyes finding a picture on his wall, above his desk. “I need to hole up with you and relax. Among other things, of course.”

Karim knew she was smiling wide before she answered. _“Of course! As long as I can cook for you, I'll be all yours, Frost.”_

“Yeah, yeah. As long as we're alone and we end up doing what we want, you're mine for the rest of the day and the night.” Karim got up and strolled towards the picture, examining it. “Like hell you're going back to Asakusa.”

“_... easy, Frost. I'm taking a bath. Alone, without you.”_

He smirked lecherously, cocking his head as he stared at the picture. “Good. It'll help me masturbate late tonight before sleeping with an image of my girlfriend naked in a tub.”

“_Oh, Karim...”_

He chuckled darkly, amused to no end.

Though he'd wanted to keep this picture hidden, Karim felt that he needed to put it somewhere he'd be able to admire it whenever he missed Susanoo. Because looking at the picture of his girlfriend sleeping in his bed, wearing one of his sleeveless dark shirts and his headphones with an absolute mess of bed hair was just worth a fuckton of gold and tenderness. And Karim still wasn't telling her that he took that picture of her while she was out cold—that would serve as good blackmail one day.


	3. Conflicts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susanoo... learns.  
Brothers will try to be... brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Shit, haven't posted it. I don't own Fire Force or Fairy Tail- just the plot for the story of Juvia's reincarnation in another universe. Yep.

_ **Asakusa, 7th District, at the guardhouse. Much later.** _

“So, did you have a good time at the 8th?” Konro asked kindly as Susanoo untied his bandages.

The blue-haired woman smiled softly, her eyes focused on her task. “Yeah,” she responded, though her voice sounded faint to her ears. And Konro's and Benimaru's. “I sure did. Both rookies got potential but are still in need of rough training before they can take on more powerful opponents—like our sulking Beni right here.”

Her teasing eye glanced towards her captain, who was sitting right next to Susanoo to assist her with Konro's treatment. Said captain glanced back at her with his pink Tic-Tac-Toe eyes, in which she could see how indifferent he was towards her little adventure at the 8th.

“If those brats couldn't handle you when you were at your lowest level, then they'll need two lifetimes to take me on and defeat me,” Benimaru countered as he handed her the cooling patch. “Why did you even go there so early? Couldn't you have chosen to waltz up there in the afternoon? Or better yet—you could have stayed here to sleep, right?”

She hummed pleasantly, taking the patch with a grateful nod. “The element of surprise, big brother—you were taught this when you trained with me at the Matsumoto compound.” She paused for a second, furrowing her brows, before smiling. “Or well, when you bothered to show up for the most interesting lessons that got your attention.”

“I'm not the shinobi in this Company and I'm not a Matsumoto, so most of the training you received had nothing to do with me. Except the _iaido_ martial arts Sensei Hayate taught us.” Benimaru didn't hide his small smile when Susanoo puffed up her cheeks in slight indignation as she delicately applied the cooling patch on Konro's back. He flicked her head. “Are you back to pouting now? _Finally_, I thought that your priest boyfriend had rubbed off on you too much.”

Konro's shoulders shook lightly as he chuckled in mirth. “You were starting to scowl and curse a bit too much for our liking,” the older man supplied, amusement lacing his words.

“And you also started being redundant for no reason. Hinata and Hikage were really wondering if this was the same Susanoo who played tag with them all over Asakusa. It was as if you'd been replaced by someone else. I was seriously starting to get worried for you, Aoba.”

Surprised, Susanoo blinked at that. How had she not noticed that she was picking up Karim's tendency to be redundant in his words? It just seemed...natural to speak like him sometimes. Though it was a big change from the proper and respectable manners she'd been taught at home, Susanoo believed that she was merely adapting herself to her brash boyfriend. That was funny.

She giggled, shaking her head as she handed Benimaru the bandages with a fond expression. “He definitely did rub off on me. Still does and I _love_ it,” she crooned, watching her captain carefully wrap the bandages around Konro's body. “And you can't do anything about it.”

“Oh yeah?” Benimaru challenged.

“Huh-huh,” Susanoo confirmed with a shake of her head.

He snorted, his eyes alight with amusement. “Heh. Sour puss.”

“Jackass teddy bear,” she retorted in a sing-song voice.

“Blue monkey lover. Heh. You can do better than that.”

“_Monkeys are awesome!_” she huffed at him before pondering. Susanoo thought about it for a minute, wracking her mind for a good insult, then beamed at Benimaru quite proudly. “Priest hater!”

Konro burst out laughing, throwing his head back, while her captain joined in with deep and uncontrollable chuckles. She couldn't help but laugh as well, shaking her head at the irony of it. Benimaru hating all the other Companies was one thing, but ever since she'd started dating Karim, they'd bickered over and over, throwing 'nice' insults to each other until their stomachs ached because of their contagious laughter.

“Can't argue with that one, can you?” she chortled between two breathless laughs, tears of laughter appearing in the corner of her eye.

“Ain't he the most unusual boyfriend a follower of Genkoku could have?” Benimaru snorted, shaking his head with a smile. “Our blue monkey could have had anyone but she fancied a priest... and he actually fancied her back, to our surprise. Talk about a great joke!”

“Get yourself a woman that'll turn your mind upside down, Waka,” Konro chimed in, wiping tears of laughter. “Then we'll talk about Susa being in a relationship with a priest of the 1st.”

Benimaru rolled his eyes. “Heh,” he snarked, a mocking smile on his lips. “Like hell, that's too much work.”

The three of them sobered up a few minutes later, smiles still engraved on their faces. Tucking her long legs beneath her, the kunoichi sighed once and for all to calm down and watched her captain take care of their mentor with all the gentleness he was capable of.

Susanoo didn't voice it often, but she liked these private moments she shared with Konro and Benimaru when it was time to make him take his treatment. Not just because it was a task she and her big brother shared willingly, but because they believed it could somehow redeem them both for what happened to Konro two years ago—their captain, _their leader_. Her mood soured as images of Asakusa engulfed in flames flashed through her mind, still as vivid as ever, and she couldn't help the sorrowful sigh that escaped her lips.

Two years may have passed since the Great Fire that nearly destroyed their home, but Susanoo and Benimaru were still secretly shaken by the sheer fear they'd felt when they'd thought that all these Infernals could have burnt their precious district to the ground. Everyone may have moved on forward, but those who were there _remembered_. It was the kind of memories that didn't go away so easily and could haunt you. It definitely haunted some of them, especially after Konro decided to sacrifice his health condition by confronting that horned thing all alone. Even though he was just as overheated as Benimaru and Susanoo were. _My blue flames weren't enough_, she thought bitterly, her intense gaze fixated on Konro's carbonized shoulders.

All that insane training from childhood to young adulthood and her mental health having taken a huge toll over the years, as per the custom for every Matsumoto... just to fail her second father figure when he needed the most support during that battle for Asakusa? He couldn't imagine how guilt-ridden and deeply ashamed of herself she'd been and still was when she woke up to finding a stricken Benimaru and an exhausted Konro who'd burnt himself to tephrosis. Why the hell had he knocked her and her big brother out? Since Aoshi, Sasuke, Dai, Daichi and Hiroki and some of her cousins had come to Asakusa to help them out with all these blasted Infernals, they could have backed up her mentor as he'd reached his limit. But there were so many people to save, so many Infernals that had to be put to rest. So many lives lost in this inferno.

Well... she used to be familiar with self-sacrifice in her past life, wasn't she? Juvia had done the same to allow Gray to survive Invel and he must have—he _must_ have and Fairy Tail _must_ have won the war against Alvarez, so that sacrifice just had to have value in the end. Wendy not making it in time to save her made that sacrifice worth a damn. There was no fucking way Juvia Lockser died for nothing in Earthland and got reincarnated in this universe. And yet, as Susanoo, she could have done the same thing to spare her sensei the pain of suffering from tephrosis; the Matsumoto had learnt and had trained to go beyond their limits to master the 'Pressure of Death' mode since they were children, so surely one of them should have confronted the demon. Anyone instead of Sagamiya Konro.

“Don't cry anymore, Aoba,” a soothing voice echoed in her ears as she felt herself being pulled into someone's arms and hugged. Tightly. Benimaru himself. He cradled her head in one arm and nuzzled it with his, wrapping the other arm around her body. “You've cried enough for both of us for the past two years, it's time for you to let go and move forward.”

Had she started crying again? Out of curiosity, Susanoo brought her hands to her eyes and jolted when she realised that she was, indeed, crying again. Big, hot tears were rolling down her cheeks and though she willed herself to calm down, she quickly found that she just couldn't—once again, her emotions got the best of her and her guilt was building up. It felt like a burning pang in her heart, preventing her from accepting that she'd failed Konro and Benimaru. That she'd failed everyone in Asakusa. Susanoo clenched her jaws in a burst of anger, now trying to get away from her captain. He didn't even budge, not even with one arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

“Let go, Benimaru,” Susanoo ordered him—really ordered him—hotly. “Let go, let me break. Just a little more, to remind me that I failed you two that night.”

His hands and arms tightened their hold on her. “_No_,” he growled coldly.

“Yes, you _can_!” she hissed to him, her tears doubling in intensity as she turned away from him. From Konro and his serene expression. “You can and you should. I'm a Matsumoto, trained to _fight_ ever since I was a child, trained to _survive_, trained to _kill_ and _execute_. My flames turned blue, which is the result of surpassing my own limits and using the 'Pressure of Death' as the trump card that should ensure complete victory. Those Infernals should have become my prey the second my mind lapsed in the killing mode, and Asakusa...” She choked, shaking her head. “_We_ should have... we should have destroyed that demon, not Konro!”

Benimaru's hand on her chin forced her to face him once again, though she stubbornly refused to meet his gaze. “Look at me. Damn it, Susanoo, _look at me!_” he nearly barked at her and she did so. She looked just as angry as he was terribly anguished at their common pain. “You better not take the full blame for having failed him two years ago—that's on me too! We both failed him!”

“Waka, don't you dare say that...,” Konro started firmly, alarmed, but Benimaru never broke eye contact with his second lieutenant.

“Just because you're a Matsumoto doesn't make you godlike or anything close, the teachings those sons of bitches put you through your whole life _fucked you up_! You reached your limit that day and so did I, but understand what Konro's choice offered us instead: the unique chance to redeem ourselves so we can learn to protect Asakusa and everyone altogether, because you and I can do it!” His gaze softened just a little and he pushed his forehead against Susanoo's, trapping her. “We weren't weak and Konro's self-sacrifice shouldn't cripple us, as this was a reminder that we could have done the exact same thing. Let's just be grateful and glad that he survived that horned _akuma_ and blasted it to smithereens. Just... just stop feeling so guilty and ashamed of yourself—I'm on the same boat, after all.”

Susanoo swallowed with great difficulty, sobs wracking up her body. When she felt she was able to speak, her voice still sounded weak in her ears. “This wasn't fair and you of all people _know_ it... after all these centuries of bloodshed and sickening glee from the Matsumoto clan, the least I'd hoped was that they would develop healing techniques to cure tephrosis as part of our redemption, since we're always boasting about strength and power. You'd think they'd believe that would make us feel more human than monsters. But what did we choose? _Neutrality_. Why? We could have helped you if you'd let us, Konro!”

“If one of your clan members had ever developped a healing technique for my condition, then all meaning of my sacrifice would be stomped on and disregarded. It would have been for naught.”

Tearful mismatched eyes snapped towards Konro, who stared at Susanoo through hard eyes. She held her breath, unable to move away from his patronising, dominant gaze. All of a sudden, she felt like a small child again being lectured by her grandfather or father during training and meditation sessions. It wasn't a pleasant sensation, which was making her feel like a goddamn idiot.

“It would be insulting to be cured of tephrosis when I fully understood the consequences of burning beyond overheat, as this the choice I made two years ago. You and Waka were two talented brats who make one hell of a team together, it would have been a great shame for your flames to be put out so early in your lives. I wouldn't have allowed it, Susanoo—even if you belong to the shinobi clan that follows the path of blood and death,” Konro declared in a strong voice. “I _refused_ to let you two go to waste, as this wasn't your time. And I made the right judgement call, I know I did. Don't spit on this sacrifice as if it wasn't worth it! Accept it!”

A serene smile graced his face, unnerving Susanoo whose eyes widened in astonishment despite her tears.

“I made it out _alive_, Aoba. Asakusa lived and is still alive thanks to that sacrifice, so I have no regrets. And our best fighters weren't lost in the Great Hell, which made everyone relieved. Just seeing you two safe after that nightmare was over is worth having tephrosis. Worth becoming the Special Fire Force Company 7, worth becoming allies with the Matsumoto clan after saving one of their daughters. Your parents, especially your father, would agree with me even now. It wasn't about trust, it was about ensuring your future first. I may never be able to use my Ignition Ability any more, but keep in mind that this Infernal couldn't kill me. _I_ finished _it_ off. Please stop beating yourself up for something you're not responsible for, little one. It was the right move. That's on me and _only_ me.”

Benimaru slowly wiped her tears, uncovering the left side of her face to see both of her mismatched Ying Yang-shaped eyes. “I thought we were both past that phase, but... the scars run really deep for us, don't they?” he muttered darkly, his eyes narrowing in slight anguish. “I still _hate_ this; us becoming Imperial lapdogs even though we haven't sworn allegiance to any oath, us being exploited by those bastards—I hate them all. But Konro may have a point: we can exploit them back and they've delivered so far, even if we're still doing things our way. The spirit of Asakusa will never be tamed, as long as you, Konro and I are still alive to keep it shining in this godforsaken world. You haven't run and we know you won't abandon us, as we'll never abandon you either.”

He gritted his teeth, butting heads with Susanoo rather hard, who groaned in pain but didn't turn away. His hand on her neck prevented her from doing so, any way. Konro did the same thing when he handed them both the duty of leading and protecting Asakusa in his stead, since he was now unable to. Benimaru's eyes were burning with such passion that she was rendered breathless and speechless, frozen in amazement. Deep down, she knew that her twin was that protective of their home and could actually become a great leader for everyone, but his doubtful nature about himself always kept being a hindrance. Because she was witnessing her best friend—no, her leader and captain—actually look like the captain he truly was beneath that devil-may-care attitude he gave most of the time. Even if it was short-lived for now.

“So lead Asakusa with me as my lieutenant and my best friend, by my side! That's _our_ duty, isn't it?”

_Captain_. _Leader_. Benimaru was both, even though he still doubted himself, and Susanoo could really see it. So could Konro. He was a born leader who needed the right push to finally step up to the matter, as he had all the qualities required for; his words slammed into Susanoo's mind back and forth, full of meaning and passion as he intended them to make her understand that he needed her. That Asakusa needed _her_ as much as they needed Waka, even though she was a Matsumoto. They couldn't trust her to defend their home for a long time, and it was only when the Great Hell that nearly engulfed them all in a sea of flames did they also ask her to put those who turned Infernals to rest alongside Benimaru.

And that, Susanoo could still hardly believe it, was the major proof that she was now a trusted companion and friend in Asakusa. The day she'd been asked to put one of them to rest the traditional way, she'd burst into tears of joy and sorrow after her arm pierced through the once man's chest. _Thank you_, she'd said as she bowed low to everyone in Asakusa. Before she knew it, Susanoo was embracing both Konro and Benimaru in her arms. Though she was still crying, a small smile had now bloomed on her face.

“Thank you. Thank you again, you two,” she whispered to both. “You idiots have _no idea_ how much I love you all in Asakusa.”

Sighing in relief, Benimaru smiled and patted her head fondly. “Yeah, I think we do. You spoil us too much with love and even though it's annoying, we appreciate it,” he drawled, smoothing down a rebellious cowlick. It jumped right back up just to spite him, but he smoothed it down again. “If you want me to forgive this outburst, just go make us something delicious to eat—I can only digest Konro's joke of food for so long and I'm seriously starting to starve.”

Of course. “Typical Beni, typical Beni. I seriously need to teach you how to cook. But Konro?” Her tired eyes found the older man's calm eyes and held them in a serious gaze. “Please live. Keep living and _stay alive_ for yourself. Please? Beni and I owe you our lives, but I'm begging—no, _we're_ begging you... live! Your life is too precious to be wasted, as any life is worth as much as anyone else's!”

Konro looked like he was about to protest, but one sharp glance from Benimaru and the silent warning he saw in those eyes made him sigh in resignation. His hand ruffled her hair affectionately with a kind smile.

“Looks like I've got no choice, not with you and Beni glaring at me like two angry cats,” he chuckled. “Though I would actually put my life on the line again, if the need arises...”

“Forget it,” Benimaru and Susanoo both snapped.

The older man looked aggravated. He was silent for a few more minutes during which the three Fire Soldiers had a stare off before he finally turned around with a huff, allowing Benimaru to finish wrapping his bandages on his body. Feeling better after crying, Susanoo wiped her damp eyes with a grateful smile and crawled until she pressed a long, tender kiss to her captain's head and flicked Konro on his forehead while jogging out.

“I'm heading out after lunch, I have business to discuss with my father,” she declared behind her shoulder before sliding the door shut.

“_What?_” she heard Benimaru exclaim in surprise. “_Hey, come back __here__!_”

No, she couldn't get back inside now, she had to go report to her father about her discovery sooner or later; as patient as he'd become after becoming the clan head, Matsumoto Ryū would still need all useful information to stay ahead of whoever was behind the Spontaneous Human Combustion. Plus, Susanoo hadn't seen her family in a while because she'd been busy between Asakusa and spending some quality time with Karim. She missed Dai, Daichi and Hiroki, Sasuke, Aoshi, Fuyubi and all her cousins.

She understood Benimaru's concern and it was legitimate—going to the Matsumoto compound and discuss with her father could potentially mean reigniting interest in the question of the clan's legacy. The members of the Matsumoto council were most certainly ready to pull cunning suggestions just to further their own interests and Susanoo wasn't going to listen. Not now, not ever. She was still twenty-two and already had a boyfriend, for goodness' sake. Their hidden agenda could go to hell and they could go fuck themselves sideways for all she cared.

Tying her long hair into a messy bun, she slipped into the kitchen and put herself to work. Cooking for everyone else will put her mind at ease for a while and will, eventually, mentally prepare her for an intense meeting with her family. Those who didn't wish to just sit by idly and watch the world burn would ask questions—Aoshi and Sasuke would hound her until she caved in, Dai, Daichi and Hiroki would just listen and decide to join in if the topic was interesting enough. But Susanoo knew what really bothered Benimaru the most: the fact that the council would most likely try to interfere in her relationship with Karim and just remind her that she was one of the precious 'gold mines' of the Matsumoto.

_They certainly will try to coax me into putting an end to my relationship with him just to further the clan's legacy,_ she thought bitterly as she put more force than necessary into preparing the food. The knife she was using almost went through the wood of the table the second she wasn't really focused. The kunoichi paused and sighed.

Benimaru chose this moment to make his appearance. He slid the door shut behind him rather loudly just before Hinata and Hikage could enter, babbling their demands for dinner. The twins complained loudly for a good minute before they were whisked away by Konro, who told them that she and Waka had to talk. Susanoo eyed her captain's stern face warily. Judging by the frown marring his face and the stormy pink eyes, this wasn't going to be pretty. The atmosphere inside the kitchen was now so different from the one in the previous room, where they were changing Konro's bandages. It was tense, heavy. She put the knife down and leaned against the sink, staring back.

“Does your little adventure at Company 8 have anything to do with you going to the compound?” he demanded, stalking until he was standing next to her. His piercing eyes bore into hers unabashedly. “Did you sense something weird over there?”

She sighed again, her face falling. “How can I hide anything from you? _Yes_ and _yes_: what I've sensed at Company 8 headquarters is of the utmost importance as one of the new rookies possesses an Adolla Burst. I'm not kidding, Beni,” she assured with a few frantic nods as he raised his brows in utter surprise—a very rare expression for him. “Though I have no idea what the council will decide on, my wild guesses revolve around the possibility of... trying to have him secured into the compound. For what purpose, I don't even know and I believe that Father himself doesn't hold all the answers.”

Benimaru frowned again, mulling over this for a moment. His voice was very controlled when he spoke again. “How much of it do you trust? Is there any legitimacy to your father's intel? Because if his researches about the mystery of Spontaneous Human Combustion indeed reveal something that might threaten Asakusa, then I'm coming with you.”

Truth be told, Susanoo couldn't blame him for putting the safety of the village first—after the Great Fire from two years ago, they needed to consider all threats with an open mind and eradicate those that put their people in grave danger. Even so, the kunoichi felt a bit uneasy to hear that her captain was willing to walk with her into the compound and meet with her father. It had been so long since his last visit and the members of the Matsumoto council were actually frightened of him, if it was possible with their madness.

She pursed her lips and looked at Benimaru in the eye, uncovering the left side of her face. “Until I've seen it for myself, I won't really be able to believe it. Words and intel can be misleading and we can't afford to be sloppy. You don't have to trouble yourself with the meddling of my clan, Beni,” she said softly. “I can just come back to Asakusa and tell you all that has been discussed and decided in person...”

“Are you deaf, Aoba? I'm coming with you to meet these bastards and there's nothing you can do to stop me. Not you, not your brothers or cousins—_no one_.” He scowled at her, hitting her forehead again with his, and bore his angry eyes into hers. “We've always done things together ever since we were born, except that Matsumoto training, but the point remains; you and I are both directly involved since you're part of Asakusa and if the Matsumoto are beginning to rethink their neutrality and are finally getting off their _noble_ asses, then things are possibly getting serious in the shadows and the Holy Sol still has no clue.”

He gently seized Susanoo's palm and squeezed it firmly. She squeezed back just as strongly. His eyes hardened even more.

“Besides, if you think I'm just doing it for our home, you're mistaken: I haven't forgotten that they're awaiting the perfect opportunity to bring up that bloody 'legacy of the clan' excuse to pressure you into considering one of your relatives. There's a chance one of the members of the council will bring it up during the meeting, right? Because you're of _'marrying age'_,” he practically spat the words in a venomous tone.

“You still remember that?” she whispered, face marred with anguish and her eyes wide in alarm. “I told you already, Benimaru—I'll handle them myself!”

He frowned in displeasure. “If that were the case, then you wouldn't be looking so worried right now and you'd be storming over there to give those bastards a piece of your mind and _not staying here making dinner_ ,” he growled. “ You're stalling, Susanoo. Kimiko tried to handle them herself too, before she was even introduced to her new role in the Matsumoto clan, and what happened to her? Married to a third-cousin, mother of three children and pregnant with another one on the way. You told me so, as you came back to the guardhouse five years ago absolutely livid. This was a bethrothal made years ago _before_ she was even born so she'd be forever chained to the clan as a child bearer to keep that damn bloodline alive and thriving ! How long before they decide to pair you up with one of your cousins?! Or one of your brothers?! If they can't even allow you to fight for your own hand because that's your fucking 'destiny' , then _who the hell will?!_”

“_'Kay, 'kay, I get it!_” Susanoo finally cried out, her free (trembling) hand grasping her head.

She looked down with a choked sob, then nearly crumbled on her knees because she couldn't stand any more on her own. Benimaru caught her in his arms but remained silent, as he already said his piece to make her understand what they both dreaded—the actual future that she was bound to have if the Matsumoto council had its way by trapping Susanoo as one of the 'gold mines' that would keep the bloodline alive for more ages to come. That is, if they had the last laugh.

Because even if she tried to believe that she could handle those entitled bastards on her own, there was still the fear that she wouldn't succeed in being exempt from the endgame of every female Matsumoto; in the event that their clan had nearly become extinct after the ancestors had finally got the Holy Sol Temple to intervene and nearly decimate them, the clan head at the time had decided that every female born in the Matsumoto would serve one purpose only. The trauma must have been so horrible for Matsumoto Shinichi, to see the results and consequences of such bloodshed, lack of morals and insatiable bloodlust from this shinobi clan, that he could only think of two many things.

Reviving a clan with a few clansmen left wasn't difficult, but _redemption_? It wasn't given, he had to earn it. The Matsumoto had had a lot to answer for if they desired to redeem themselves, as the guilt and lack of conscience of the ancestors caused the descendants to suffer hell for it as the ages went by. Aoshi suffered from the harsh insults and the rocks thrown at him wherever he went, Susanoo and Sasuke had a really hard time coming out of the compound despite Benimaru's coaxing (blunt) words because they were too scared. Cowardly even, if she had to be honest. Truth be told, all Matsumoto children had it worse and could have snapped and killed some people. And the triplets? Aoshi, Susanoo and Sasuke had all agreed that they had to be protected at all cost. Little Fuyubi being the most precious of all, he was to remain at Mother's side.

“_No wonder you've all become recluse, preaching neutrality despite still raising your children to become trained murderers with a bloodlust rivalling that ridiculous faith in the Sun God those overzealous Imperial dogs worship,” an enraged Konro had spat to her uncle one day, when Susanoo went on a stroll in Asakusa with both him and Benimaru and made it back in one piece to the compound. “The trauma of having your bloodline nearly wiped out is still haunting you all even to this day, yet you're still forbidding the women born in the clan from having a different future. You... you're all sick!”_

Blinking many times despite her tears, Susanoo shook her head and looked up at Benimaru. “I need _Karim_ ,” she declared, swallowing. Grabbing his shoulder, she slowly stood on her feet again and took a deep breath. “Maybe I won't be able to make you understand my feelings for him, but he _is_ the man I need and want. I don't want either a brother or a cousin as a husband—Karim Flam is the man I fell in love with and I can't imagine breaking up with him for a clan relative that might just view me as a breeding cow to be constantly impregnated to further the clan's bloodline.”

She wiped at her tears angrily, leaning back against the countertop. They hadn't even left the guardhouse and she was already feeling too exhausted to go to the compound, let alone try to cook. Benimaru's hand grasped her shoulder tightly and she grabbed his arm, unable to look at him for the time being.

“The clan isn't going to accept this relationship because he doesn't come from a noble shinobi clan and he's a priest of the Holy Sol Temple, so that's already two main points they'll use to back up their arguments in the discussion. What happened to Misa and Kimiko can very well apply to me, as the Matsumoto give birth to so few women.” Susanoo clenched her teeth with an anguished expression, shaking her head. “The two of them are now resigned and dedicate their attention and time to their families, as if they've grown to... actually _love_ their husbands and children? Despite the fact that it was imposed on them as 'the Matsumoto woman's duty'? How does that mindset even work, Beni?”

When she looked up at him, his eyes seemed apathetic as most of the time, but she knew better. As they've calmed down for now, Benimaru was no longer glowering and looked more placid.

He sighed. “It _doesn't_,” he said coldly. “It never does. You just... adapt yourself to the situation.”

* * *

It took a lot of convincing (and a threat to knock her out _multiple times_ until tomorrow) from Benimaru to stop Susanoo from going to the Matsumoto compound, as she could just write her report on a parchment and have it brought to her father thanks to Monkeychi (the tiny ninja monkey that was her other best friend and partner was all too eager to help, so she couldn't refuse him). She did just that, taking advantage of the fact that the rice was boiling and that Hinata and Hikage were keeping Benimaru occupied in the kitchen. Konro was keeping watch on the rice for the first time in a long while, as their first-rate chef was 'busy' trying to gather her senses. She'll see to their dessert soon.

Though she'd wanted to visit her mother, brothers and cousins, there was a sneaking suspicion that her father and uncle would have brought her in front of the Matsumoto council so they could settle her future once and for all.

It was running away for all she knew, and yes, it was cowardly and gutless at best, Susanoo was aware of those facts, but she couldn't just mimic Kimiko and Misa. She was loathe to admit it but Benimaru _was_ right; they tried to handle it their own way and failed. Fantastically so. Both cousins got hitched with other relatives from the clan and were already mothers, as she'd argued with the two kunoichi to ask what the hell happened that made accept that goddamn 'duty' to be breeding cows. To say Susanoo had been livid was the understatement of history—she'd nearly lost her voice when she stormed back to the guardhouse, her expression thunderous. She'd even ignored both Konro, Benimaru and the rest of their soldiers as they tried to coax her out of her room. To vent out her frustration and anger, she'd spared with her big brother until they both dropped. Konro and two of their soldiers had to carry them back inside so they could rest.

Seeing Kimiko and Misa so quiet and resigned the day they were told by the council that they were to marry and give birth had built up so much rage and frustration. Susanoo couldn't even bring herself to shed tears for her dear cousins, baffled and horrified at how easily they'd accepted their fates. The light in their identical Ying Yang-shaped eyes had been dulled, probably lost forever, but there had been a sense of firm resignation that had unsettled the Fire Soldier to the bone.

There was a high chance that she'd have failed as well to sway the Matsumoto council to fight for her hand and keep cherishing her happiness with Karim Flam. Had it been so tonight, Benimaru would have burnt the compound to the ground with a smile.

Once she was finished writing her report, Susanoo carefully sealed it and smiled up at little Monkeychi, who was patiently waiting for her on a book shelf. He was a tiny monkey, barely higher and thicker than an ananas, yet strong enough to carry a scroll within long distances with frightening stealth and stamina for such a small and cute animal. _A ninja animal at that_, she added fondly as she tied the scroll at the back of Monkeychi's white and blue hakama. The symbol of the Matsumoto clan glared back at her proudly.

“Alright, all set up!” Susanoo said in a sing-song voice, allowing the tiny monkey to climb to her shoulder while she walked towards her window. She opened it with a small smile, her eye crinkling when she noticed all the beautiful lights illuminating Asakusa. “Deliver this to Father and come back whenever you can, 'kay?”

Monkeychi chirped joyfully, blinking large and light brown eyes at her before he jumped off her shoulder and into the night. Susanoo watched him go for a few more seconds before closing the window and doing two handless, flawless cartwheels to her bed, where she flopped down unceremoniously to grab her phone. She quickly typed a message, snuggling on her pillow.

_Hey, love. Still intent on telling me what's wrong with Rekka? I...could use some confiding as well._

Though Susanoo wasn't sure she'd receive a reply that soon because of how busy the 1st was in Shinjuku, even at ungodly hours, she was absolutely delighted when her smartphone vibrated back about five minutes later, with Karim's name staring back at her as the caller's ID.

“_First __of all__, tell me you're fine and that I don't need to come storming to the 7__th__,”_ Karim demanded—literally demanded!—in a firm tone that exulted the leadership he was natural at.

In the back of her mind, a teasing voice mused that he should use more of that tone during intimate moments because the pleasant shivers she felt whenever he'd plough dominantly into her with the lewd words flowing out of his mouth and directly into her ear were delicious.

“Physically speaking, I'm perfectly fine and healthy,” she responded, her expression growing softer and fond. “Although I wouldn't mind if you were to come waiting for me at the gates of Asakusa. But mentally speaking...” She hesitated, furrowing her brows. “I don't think I'm fine at all.”

“_Do you wish me to listen as your boyfriend... or as the priest you have as your boyfriend?”_

“Can you be both?”

Karim stayed silent for a few seconds, most certainly confused at her unusual request. And, to be honest, so was she.

“_...I can try. That bad, Susanoo?”_

“To the point that I realised that I need what makes Karim Flam, whom I had first thought was the most infuriating and insufferable person alive, the man I fell in love with. More than anything, even my blood family that's at the centre of the conflict.” She bit her lip, then sighed as she sat up Indian style. “Call me selfish all you want, because I _know_ I _am_, but... I just can't help it—that argument I fell into with Benimaru earlier was enough to make me break down for the second time of the day in such a short amount of time. So yes, Karim. It's _that_ bad. I want to listen to you first about Rekka, but then... will you be willing to hear me out? I'll even tell you about Benimaru and I, since you want to trust me with whatever you've uncovered about your best friend.”

“_Wait, Leaf, you don't need to—”_

She interrupted him with a soft smile, looking up at her ceiling. “Karim, please. Part of being in a relationship is clear communication between lovers and complete trust. We're both... learning about each other, as it's a slow process. If you want to know me like the back of your own hand, then I shall come clean to you. Willingly. Allow me to teach you who Matsumoto Susanoo is.”

That was a price Susanoo was willing to pay, if she didn't want to fuck up her relationship with Karim over the ridiculous secrecy of the clan. Outsiders couldn't be fully trusted and, though she was loathe to admit, the kunoichi agreed to a certain extent. The people of Asakusa hadn't trusted her until just two years ago with good reasons and Susanoo hadn't either—at the very least, the feeling had been mutual. Her family possessed so many secrets they'd protect even in the grave if they had to, especially after the Matsumoto massacre that had nearly wiped out the whole bloodline in one night. Self-preservation at its best.

However, Susanoo didn't want that life. That safe, nice and cozy life her mother was preaching to her small daughter years ago would feel like a birdcage built around the bird that wanted to be free; get married to a relative, give birth to many children (_daughters_, preferably), be cherished by your husband and children, and keep living this way. Susanoo's uncle and father had even claimed this was the best life they wished for her, unbothered by the bullshit happening in their world.

Into. The. Damned. Clan.

Couldn't she wish for an alternative to the birdcage? A _better_ future than the one every female in her clan had since birth? She did wish one night, with Sasuke at her side. And that wish came in the form of Shinmon Benimaru and Sagamiya Konro. Susanoo didn't want a destiny all written down for her even before she was able to think for herself, she wanted to build hers into this world, even if it was going up in flames. Although she had the utmost respect for her mother, grandmothers and aunts, the kunoichi couldn't stand the resignation they'd gone through in order to bring up their respective children.

She heard a long hum through the receiver and looked back down, blinking slowly. _“You've given it a lot of thought, haven't you? This is a pleasant surprise, __colour me stunned... the Rookie Fire Soldier Games are upon us and you're still coming, right? Because you can't chicken out on me, not after promising to pour your heart out to me. __And I'll do the same. __'Kay?”_

“I don't make such promises just to break them minutes later, I'd be friendless and without a boyfriend to love and love me back by now,” she joked half-heartedly. “That way, we wouldn't even be a couple.”

“_No joking about bad jokes like that, you Ying Yang joker,” _he deadpanned.

Susanoo burst out in fits of giggles, unable to restrain herself. She laughed until her stomach ached and ached, until she was completely red in the face, until there were tears of laughter in her eyes. Until her cheeks hurt from smiling too much. Well, she laughed until the light and mirth were back in those legendary Ying Yang-shaped eyes that had seen the doom of so many victims back in the day.

With just one of his weird sentences and his redudancy, her boyfriend had managed to make her smile again after breaking down. Just how good was he without even him realising it?

“_I'm serious, Leaf,” _Karim grounded out to her, annoyed. _“Don't even joke about that, especially after what you must have gone through to get accepted in this society. I can't even start imagining it.”_

“Getting a bit sympathetic here, Frost?” Susanoo wheezed painfully, before taking a huge breath to calm down. But the wide, cheerful smile hadn't disappeared. “Didn't know you had it in you.”

“_And that's your fault,” _he replied with a snort. He was probably scowling as well. _“My life was pretty normal before we crossed paths in Shinjuku, when you were beating the crap out of those pervy thugs. Now that I think about it... you actually 'ninja-ed' your way into my life.”_

“Oh? As if you didn't 'word' yours into mine after you insulted me though I didn't deserve it.” She couldn't help the frown and the grimace that marred her face as she slowly brought herself up on one handstand on her bed. Her long shapely legs, covered by her baggy uniform pants, bent both forward and backward in a pose. “The bloody times of the Matsumoto had long come to an end, buried in the past but not forgotten. Yet we, the children, are the ones suffering the most from bullying, which is unfair.”

Karim groaned. _“I know... I _ know_. Excuse me for being so narrow-minded back then, I didn't even try to put myself into your shoes just once. Not until you've started showing up in our jurisdiction from time to time, trying to get a rise ouf of me when I was patrolling on my own.” _ He marked a small pause. _“Just to clarify things, were you actually looking for me?”_

Susanoo cocked her head to the side, blinking. “I was. Despite our violent first meeting, something in you stood out and made me reconsider. To be sure that I wasn't being stupid, I decided to... look for you.”

“_'Something in me stood out'? Whatever do you mean?” _her boyfriend inquired, probably cocking his head to the side with a frown.

Ah, right. She hadn't told him about the eyes of the Matsumoto and their most secret ability. Susanoo smiled warmly at the prospect of surprising Karim after the Rookie Fire Soldier Games, since they were going to bare themselves out to each other in private. She had to admit that she was both tense and excited at the same time, as the kunoichi was really looking forward to telling the priest about herself. It would be both intimate and straight-forward, especially since he also wanted to trust her with something important.

She bent forward until she was balancing herself on one foot on her bed, phone in hand. “Patience, love. I'll tell you when we're alone after the games. It's worth the wait, promise. Maybe you'll like what I'll say, who knows?”

“_What? What's preventing you from telling me right now?”_

Susanoo smiled wide and before she could answer, Benimaru seemingly materialised next to her, leaning into her ear. “An abysmally empty stomach,” he deadpanned, talking loud enough for Karim to hear him. He slapped a hand on Susanoo's head, smirking mockingly at her baffled expression. “If you lovebirds are done planning how and where you're going to fuck next time if not at the altar of the Holy Sol Temple, then I suggest you hang up and allow my lieutenant to come eat, priest.”

Had Karim been in front of him, the kunoichi was sure he'd have gaped at her captain in utter shock. Before insulting him. Even Susanoo herself was staring at Benimaru with wide eyes, both in awe and stupefied.

“_Why you little—” _Karim all but bristled in very loud shout, beyond pissed.

“See you soon, Frost,” she said hurriedly before hanging up and tossing her smartphone on her giant monkey plushy in one fast motion. The phone was soon vibrating again, but she ignored it as she facepalmed, her face redder than a ripe tomato. “Thanks to you, Karim is going to be absolutely insufferable for the next days. You really just _had_ to say that, Beni?”

Amusement shining in his Tic-Tac-Toe eyes, Benimaru folded his hands inside his sleeves and observed his closest friend with a smug smile. “It was so tempting I'm amazed I haven't done it yet, and the timing was just right,” he said bluntly. “Sometimes I feel like you're asking for it, so why not give you two ideas?”

Crying out in indignation, Susanoo rudely pushed him out of the way and stormed out of her room, a smirking Benimaru following close behind.

“Shut up, jackass.”

“Does he need tips?” he probed some more.

_That's it!_ “KONRO!” Susanoo hollered, her eyes glowing. She was almost breathing blue fire at the mouth, like a drake. “Get this sicko away from me before I snap my last nerves and kill him!”

“He's your best friend and your twin!” Konro hollered back from the kitchen.

“Besides,” Benimaru 'merrily' said as he patted her head in an almost placating gesture. “you know you can't kill me, you love me way too much to even try.”

Susanoo saw _red_.

* * *

All over Asakusa, an enraged Matsumoto Susanoo chased after a smirking Shinmon Benimaru. Soldiers and citizens alike stopped to admire extremely fast blurs of bright blue and red in the sky, cheers echoing from the streets as the Destroyer of Asakusa flew around with his _matoi_ and his lieutenant was hot on his heels. Sometimes she was throwing blue fireballs at his ass, missing him only narrowly or he'd just block them with his Second Generation powers.

More than an hour passed. Susanoo crashed somewhere and didn't get back up, so the chase ended. And Benimaru leisurely strolled back to the guardhouse with his dear lieutenant slumped on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, burnt out and muttering threats half-heartedly to her captain, who merely chuckled in mirth.

* * *

“I'll have my revenge on you,” a half-comatose Susanoo groaned before she fell face-down on her bed in her sleeping yukata. She shuffled beneath her covers somehow, her back facing her best friend. “Count on it. Be prepared, Beni.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Benimaru waved her off, sitting next to her after nudging her body so she'd make some space—why he needed to do that? Just to tease her one last time before bed. His gaze settled on the back of her head and he was silent for a few minutes. “If he's really the one you need, then tell him. Tell him about the Matsumoto and the fucked up destiny the council wants for you. But I'm pretty sure you intend to spill your guts the next time you see each other. As much as it pains me to admit it, that priest needs to know what he's getting himself into by being in a romantic relationship with a coveted female Matsumoto.”

He reached out to pat her head, his fingers weaving through long, silky sky blue locks. “That's not a future for you, Aoba,” Benimaru muttered darkly. “You belong at the 7th and you'll stay at the 7th. So that priest boyfriend of yours better have guts or I'll never forgive him if he runs away with his tail between his legs, thus allowing that clan to do you like they did your cousins and will do all the other young girls.”

Even half-asleep, Susanoo managed to smile contentedly. “See, Beni? There you are,” she murmured.

“Hm?” he perked up, looking down at her in interest.

Slowly, one of her hands caught his in her hair and squeezed strongly. Her half-closed mismatched eyes, glowing beautifully in the dark, stared back at him with a familiar mirth and relief. For a second, a younger version of Matsumoto Susanoo flashed in his minds, crying in utter relief and joy after all the citizens of Asakusa finally accepted her.

“Understood, _captain Shinmon_.”

Benimaru stared back, rendered speechless, then ducked his head to hide his smile as he squeezed back just as strongly. Because she also believed in his leadership capacities, she'd never stop calling him captain. Like Konro and the others. He was Waka to everyone in Asakusa, but he wanted to remain one thing to Susanoo.

“That's _big brother_ to you, blue monkey,” he replied back, flicking her forehead.

“Go to sleep, Beni.”

“In a few minutes. Now, about those tips for your priest...”

Susanoo almost flew from her snuggly position to attack her captain.

* * *

_ **The Matsumoto compound** _

“So, your sister Susanoo isn't coming home tonight either, is she? Smart girl, as she needs to remain away while the council needs to come off their high horse and stop seething...”

Sitting near the koi pond, where two black and white koi fishes were swimming in circles peacefully (all the while forming the Ying Yang symbol), Matsumoto Sasuke, Dai, Daichi and Hiroki were all staring pointedly at the large town below the compound, where Susanoo now lived. And thrived. Standing a little behind the four brothers, their uncle Matsumoto Satoshi surveyed the young ninjas with a shadowed, concerned gaze. _And you all miss her like crazy_, Satoshi thought with a quiet, deep sigh.

But the shinobi understood his niece's reasons for not coming to the compound, for they were as valid as the truth their precious eyes always revealed. Had the council heard of her coming, they'd have called (demanded) for a meeting to decide which clan member would have the 'wonderful honour' to get Susanoo as a wife and mother of his future children. Satoshi didn't bother hiding his snarl as he remembered one obnoxious council member, Matsumoto Rido, suggest one of his sons to Ryū, and he definitely didn't imagine the clenching of his brother's jaws or the way his eyes flashed murderously at the old bastard. That had been entertaining to see the geezers cower at the slight display of bloodlust from his brother, as if they'd forgotten who the clan head was.

There was a reason Ryū was the clan head and not Satoshi—he'd have long murdered the entire council and bathed in their blood in celebration and he'd have done it with the biggest smile ever. To be honest, he'd have done it as his very first task as clan head.

Satoshi approached the brothers with quiet footsteps, his hands soon carding through Dai and Daichi's wild blue locks. “The rift between us was created long before she left for Asakusa and joined Benimaru in the Special Fire Force, so it's more than likely that she refuses the endgame that always befell on her fellow female clansmen,” he declared solemnly.

“You blame her? I'm not even mad at her for leaving, that tradition has to be nulled and revoked,” Sasuke snarled, his voice cold and firm. He glanced back to glare at his uncle, startling his younger brothers in the process. “There's no need to keep imposing it onto the shoulders of the women of our clan, as we've long reached past three hundred. We're not going to die out any time soon.”

Satoshi's Ying Yang eyes hardened. “Why don't you go yell at those bastards at the next meeting so they can lay off Susanoo? Don't be silent, use your loud mouth, but be smart about it; they're silver tongues who've been playing this game for far too long to be outsmarted by brats. And since there really isn't anyone worthy of the Matsumoto around, we'll fall back on the most favoured solution—have Susanoo married to one of our relatives—and all her running away and stalling would have been for _naught_.”

Sasuke gritted his teeth, fully turning towards him. The striking resemblance between him and his twin sister was even more pronounced now that he was mad, because it reminded Satoshi of how Susanoo looked when she'd yelled at Misa and Kimiko for giving up the fight and accepting their role. She'd almost burnt down the west aisle of the compound with her blue flames, and would have probably done more if he, Sasuke, Aoshi, the triplets and more of her cousins hadn't come to stop her.

“Like hell I'll let that happen. More than three hundred members, with more on the way with Misa and Kimiko and who knows who's next. That's enough!” Sasuke's Ying Yang mismatched eyes glowed. “The Matsumoto Massacre is well behind us, a horror from the past. Susanoo should be free to love whoever she wants.”

“And what of her boyfriend? The priest going by the name of Flam Karim?” Hiroki wondered, glancing uneasily between his uncle and his older brother. “He's Susa's man, she loves him and so does he, by the spy—no, _observation_ we've completed the times they've hung together as a couple. We've seen them at Shinjuku and Shibuya, we've watched how they interact after they've finally made it official—their relationship is serious and real. And healthy.”

Dai and Daichi nodded firmly. “They moan each other's names like a mantra whenever they're making love, so he definitely returns Susa's feelings,” Dai chimed out innocently, his eyes crinkling. “And he's actually dominant in the bedroom, always pinning Susa either against the wall, the desk or the bed so he can pound hard into her. You should see how he holds her close.”

“And he's very possessive of her too. Much like how uncle Satoshi is with aunt Megumi when—hmpff?”

Daichi glared up at his uncle, who was both covering his mouth and doing a stellar job at ignoring him as he was still focused on Sasuke. However, his expression was carefully blank with his eyes shadowed and his mouth set in a grim line as he was reorganising his thoughts. He even missed the way Sasuke clobbered the triplets with hard chops on their heads, their complaints falling deaf to his ears (serves them right for peeping on his precious twin sister).

He'd heard from Sasuke and the triplets about his niece hitting it off with a priest from Company 1 of the Special Fire Force, though he had no idea if it really was serious. Satoshi had been worried when Daichi came back to report to his brother about the latest development in Susanoo's affairs, but to his astonishment, Ryū had looked... slightly _hopeful_. That had been a surprising moment when his twin brother had also chuckled and had shaken his head, startling the triplets. The news of his only daughter showing a romantic interest in a follower of the Holy Sol Temple should have sent him into forced rest for two weeks, even three if he wanted to be dramatic about the whole matter. If the Matsumoto were mostly neutral towards the church, it didn't mean they were fervent followers of Sol. Quite the opposite.

The shinobi and the people of Asakusa honoured their traditions as their unique way of belief, so the emergence of this religion based on this fucking Sun God absolutely made no fucking sense at all. None whatsoever. The Church of the Sun must be quite pissed to not have managed to convert the shinobi clan and the people of Asakusa to their cult, to which Satoshi always remembered to drink in honour of their unshakable faith in old Japanese traditions.

So... Susanoo was _in love_. And not in lust. For real. It couldn't be a fucking joke if the triplets themselves were being extremely precise in their details—the three of them were known for being really good at spying on their relatives without getting spotted, which had got them into some funny, yet embarrassing situations with other clan relatives. Satoshi needed to have a serious chat with his niece, as there were many things to discuss. _If she really is in love with Flam Karim, then the council will __have__ to back off_, he thought with a wide grin pulling at his lips. If their feelings were really genuine, then she had a chance.

“Sasuke, stop trying to kill your little brothers and listen up,” Satoshi spoke up, interrupting the young boy before he could strangle Dai. The poor boy was turning blue. “Your father and I will have to tell you something very important concerning Susanoo.”

Perking up, the shinobi released Dai, who collapsed on the grassy ground with a groan and was immediately crowded by his two twins, and stepped towards his uncle with a curious expression. “What is it?” he inquired seriously.

“Later. Monkeychi just came by to deliver your sister's report on her latest adventure...” His expression darkened, making Sasuke frown. “... and I don't like what I've read. Now come, all of you.”

With that, he turned and walked back inside the safe confines of the compound, followed by the brothers. As he led his nephews through enlightened and luxurious halls, Satoshi forced his mind to focus more on the words that his dear niece had written down, and the more he remembered them, the more worried he grew. _She couldn't have imagined it_, he thought grimly. The Matsumoto were extremely sensible to their environment, using the 'Breath of life' to sense everything, so if his niece claimed that a rookie in the new Special Fire Force Company possessed an Adolla Burst, then he had to believe it.

That meant that the threat of those so-called 'White Clads' was actually real. And the Tokyo Empire wasn't ready to go against them without solid knowledge of what they could do, because those fools of the Holy Sol will probably try their best to keep the population in the dark just to keep their faith in ther blasted religion and their oh-so precious Sun God.

When Ryū's study came into view, Satoshi schooled his expression and rapped his knuckles against the doors.

“Come in, brother. You too, my sons,” his deep voice called.

Humming, Satoshi slid open the doors and his keen eyes landed on the form of his twin brother, sitting straight seiza style in front of his low table. The scroll sent by Susanoo lay in front of him, bare and available for everyone who wished to read it. Ryū, as regal as he could be at this hour of the night, looked less troubled than earlier when Satoshi went to check on his nephews, but his eyes still seemed overshadowed by a slight dread he absolutely loathed. Resisting the urge to grimace, the shinobi walked in and took a seat next to his twin, followed by Sasuke and the triplets after Hiroki slid the doors shut again.

Ryū only looked up when he sensed Sasuke's curiosity peaking, his gaze taking in everyone in the room before speaking up. “I presume that your uncle hasn't told you of the content of the scroll sent by your sister?” he asked, sharing a look with his brother.

“Nothing, only that we would probably hear it from you,” the young shinobi said with a light frown. He slightly leaned forward towards his father. “But it would have been better if Susanoo had come here, though I don't blame her for choosing not to come. Tell us, Father. Is everything all right with our sister?”

“Susanoo is fine, Sasuke. It's what she discovered during one of her little adventures outside Asakusa that had her worried, which brings us to this scroll and the reason why I called you all here.” Ryū weaved his fingers through short, spiky sky blue hair, pushing up the rebellious locks from his still handsome face. “This is troubling, because that would mean that whatever dark forces are at work in the shadows will surely come out to get their hands on the boy.”

“What—Father, please, tell us—”

“Susanoo met a Fire Soldier at Company 8 who possesses an Adolla Burst. He's a young rookie going by the name of Kusakabe Shinra,” the clan head cut in smoothly, his eyes hardened.

Sasuke cursed, gritting his teeth, while the triplets looked at each other in worry. That kind of reaction was expected from all of them, as they were told by their parents about his researches; Ryū and Hatsue couldn't take the risk of letting their precious children in the dark, especially not after they'd captured at least four of the 'White Clads' to gather all the data they could through terrible means of torture before killing them.

“Does Kusakabe Shinra even aware he's got an Adolla Burst?” Sasuke asked after regaining control of his emotions. “If not, then his life is in great danger.”

Satoshi shook his head. “Most likely not, as he hasn't been found yet. Meaning that his Adolla Burst is still somewhat dormant, but could be awoken and identified as such. The Empire is still ignorant of its enemies lurking in the shadows and don't get me started on the Church of the Sun; the freak worshippers will probably do their best to keep the population in the dark as long as they can to prevent chaos and disorder from erupting in their little world, so the illusion has to be maintained.” His Ying Yang eyes darkened as he narrowed them. “According to Susanoo's words, her boyfriend wants to share some of his thoughts and doubts with her concerning another priest he's been watching for some time, Hoshimiya Rekka.”

Daichi blinked in curiosity, his mismatched eyes crinkling in disgust. “That over exuberant priest with the star-shaped pupils who's always so enthusiastic that he can light up all of Shibuya and keeps saying 'My stars!' as a line?” he inquired and Dai and Hiroki nodded beside him. He hissed in displeasure, raking a hand through his bangs. “Yeah, I can _definitely_ see why: he gave me the creeps the first time I saw him in Shinjuku, putting some Infernals to rest.”

All eyes turned to him, expectant. “Did you look into his soul?” his father asked seriously.

“No need, as his behaviour alone was deeply unsettling enough for you to think that he might be putting up a facade to hide a much darker side.” Daichi frowned, searching for his words. “His aura told me all I needed to know, because it was all over the place and scorching. It was as if the... passionate front he puts up all the time is used as concealment to hide his real nature. It's all in the smiles; Hoshimiya Rekka smiles way too much for me. Maybe he's always been like that with his two friends, but it's certainly unsettling to me.”

Hiroki nodded, grasping his brother's shoulder. “Do you think he might be a traitor to the Empire and the Holy Sol? If so, then the Special Fire Force and the Church of the Sun have had a mole who might have been turning people into Infernals through unknown means for who knows how long.”

“If Susanoo's beloved confirms our suspicions, then it's highly possible that Hoshimiya has been doing this to find compatible people who might develop the Adolla Burst later on.”

At that, the younger shinobi looked deeply disturbed as they all blanched in horror. And to be honest, Satoshi couldn't even blame his nephews; he was just as disgusted and pissed, as the victims of Spontaneous Human Combustion sometimes involved young children who had their whole life incinerated away by absurd maniacs whose organisation had a mysterious purpose that had yet to be clear. And those 'bugs' used by the White Clads... the few grunts Satoshi and Aoshi had tortured had told them that they used those strange insects to ignite people, hoping at least one of them would be compatible with the Adolla Burst. They didn't even care if they killed innocents, as it was all to obey their 'Evangelist'.

_How disgusting_, Satoshi thought with a snarl. He'd enjoyed terminating the White Clads grunts, spilling their blood and guts all over the torture room before reporting to Ryū. The Matsumoto may not be Imperial dogs and they were certainly not tied to the Holy Sol Temple, but they'd still learnt to value life and humanity over the years; if anything, the clan's massacre had made them reflect on themselves.

People awakening their Ignition Abilities _and_ an Adolla Burst were so rare in this world ravaged by the flames, so why pursue them? What the hell made them so special for those White Clads? Would they serve some kind of purpose that only the Adolla Burst, the destructive flame that destroyed this earth, could achieve? It was so twisted and they still had no concrete leads.

“But it's all hearsay for now. No one has caught Hoshimiya in the act with his pants down and if he's really a traitor to the Empire, the Special Fire Force and the Holy Sol altogether, then he has to be very cautious around his peers,” Ryū mused, his eyes thoughtful. “I have to hand it to him—he _is_ good at hiding his real nature to his friends and superiors. With the way he acts around everyone, who would suspect him?”

“Charisma,” Satoshi spat out with derision. “is an excellent weapon for deceivers. But let's focus back on Kusakabe Shinra: the Rookie Fire Soldier Games are coming up and he'll be representating the 8th over there for sure. As a brand new Special Fire Force Company that popped up out of nowhere, they _have_ to be present for their new recruits. Though the 7th doesn't partake in those things because they absolutely dislike the Fire Force, I guess Susanoo will head over there despite Benimaru's attempts at keeping her at the guardhouse.” A brief, amused smile graced his lips and everyone else chuckled in short mirth before regaining their serious. “She's supposed to spend the rest of the day with Flam Karim and will probably stay overnight.”

Hiroki's Ying Yang eyes lit up. “I see where this is going, Uncle: you want Sasuke, Dai, Daichi and I to tag along with Susanoo to the Rookie Fire Soldier Games and, if Hoshimiya shows his face, have us all look into his soul to determine his nature once and for all. Not a bad plan, but we have to ensure that the target will be here.”

Satoshi hummed as he poured some green tea for everyone. “Not just that, Hiroki, but they'll be out in the open,” he said with a light frown. He took his mug, observing the steam rise in front of him. “The likelihood of Hoshimiya being a traitor is high, but we have to look for more. In _every_ Company. And the Rookie Fire Soldier Games are the best even to root them out all at once, even if not all the Fire Soldiers in the seven Companies will be present. Sasuke? Dai? Daichi? Hiroki?” His serious gaze held so much authority that the young brothers straightened. “From now on, be with your sister. Your father and I will tell Aoshi what he's missed, but he'll join you on this mission. If Susanoo wishes to help Flam Karim in his investigation linked to those strange cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion suddenly piling up, then both of them will need all the assistance required.”

“Be _siblings_, boys,” Ryū added with a rare, warm smile that seemed to light up the room. “It's been so long since this clan has become so united to fight off a threat, the wind of change needs to blow on the Matsumoto. Over the years, I've watched you all come to terms with our bloody history and the ill reputation of the clan—especially Aoshi, Susanoo and Sasuke. Surviving the hatred of this society has not only tested your will and sanity, but has also made you stronger.” His eyes settled on Sasuke, who met his gaze head on. “Sasuke, guide your little brothers along with Susanoo and Aoshi. Your mother and I will be shaping Fuyubi until he's ready to face this godforsaken world.”

Satoshi nodded, agreeing with everything his brother just said. “Be _brothers_.”

That was all they needed to hear, as the smiles may not reach their ears but were fully genuine and their eyes were bright and determined.

“Right!”

* * *

_ **Asakusa, 7th District, at the guardhouse.** _

Susanoo was fast asleep, snuggled beneath her covers with Monkeychi right next to her head. The ninja monkey had come back not too long ago, a bit exhausted, and had settled on his mistress' pillow for the night. Soon, the realm of dreams had swallowed them. The Rookie Fire Soldier Games were literally upon them and the kunoichi had plans to stay with Karim and go over his theory about Hoshimiya Rekka and the possibility that he was a traitor to the Special Fire Force and the Holy Sol, if only to make her boyfriend understand that he could confide in her.

This would take a lot from both of them, but the results could be so satisfying. In any case, Susanoo was looking forward to spending her time with Karim. Alone again. That ought to be sweet, if she put aside the fact that she wanted to tell him about her family.

On her giant monkey plushy, her smartphone vibrated and the screen lit up. Several notifications could be seen piling up, with the names coming from people she'd see very soon.

_ **From: Frost** _

_I've got two days off right after the Rookie Fire Soldier Games, which I want to spend with you. No one else—just you and me. You up for being mine for that long, Leafy?_

_ **From: First Me** _

_Haven't seen you in a while, Susanoo... I'll blame Beni for your prolonged absence because I know he's gloating for having you as his lieutenant. Nevertheless, need some help? I'm here for you, sis._

_ **From: Spider n°1** _

_SUSAAAAAAA! Guess what, big sister?! We're coming out of the compound! Expect to have us all in Asakusa for a while with Benimaru, Konro and those Kitsune twins! I know you miss the three of us, don't deny it! More than Sasuke and Fuyubi!_

_ **From: Spider n°2** _

_The food's not the same since you don't live with us any more, big sis. I'm going to be extra demanding so you can try to make up for... at least three hundred meals and desserts. Benimaru has been the one taking advantage of your cooking skills right after you joined the 7th—what a jackass, he couldn't even share with us! Does he hate us? :(_

_ **From: Spider n°3** _

_Sister, will it be all right for the four of us to invade the 7th for a bit? I don't know if Captain Shinmon will be lenient towards all of us wandering in and out of Asakusa, since his people mustn't have seen so many Matsumoto out in their town...oh, I'd love to visit Tokyo with you! Will you be our guide, big sister? Good night and see you soon! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Susanoo thinks that she's going to have a good day and that everything still goes to shit, she has to confront many other things as well. Not all of them are pleasant.

IV: _Where there is fire..._

* * *

_Asakusa, the early morning at the guardhouse on the day of the Rookie Fire Soldier Games..._

Today should be a good day. A very good one, as there was no reason for the Rookie Fire Soldier Games to go to shit and fuck up everyone's plans—especially Susanoo's. Getting to spend _two entire days off_ with her boyfriend was sweet, and they'll get to know more about each other. From what his text said, Karim must have something planned for both of them. This ought to be good. Nothing should fuck this up.

When Susanoo woke up that morning, Tic-Tac-Toe pink eyes were staring right back at her Yin Yang mismatched eyes. They were so close that they were practically touching—no, really, they almost were. Benimaru was bent forward from behind her head, leaning in so that he could look down at her in the eyes. She wasn't that surprised to find him in her room, as he always came in whenever he wanted and he was welcome to (that also included early mornings).

Susanoo blinked. Benimaru blinked back. Then she smiled up at him. “You okay, Beni?” she asked in a whisper.

“I will be if you manage to convince _them_ to get the hell out of here, Aoba,” Benimaru whispered back in annoyance. “I'm already having a headache just having to see the triplets arguing between each other for no reason and Fuyubi isn't even with them this time. What a _miracle_.”

Huh? Triplets? _Fuyubi?_ Susanoo frowned and slowly rolled over on her stomach, propping herself on her knees in a floppy movement to face her captain. “Alright, it's _really_ early and I'm still very sleepy, so you're not making any sense right now. What on earth are you talking about, Beni?”

However, she got her answer even before Benimaru could answer in his most aggravated tone; her senses picked up four familiar and distinct auras that tickled her in a pleasant way. It was different from her best friend's, Karim's, Konro's and the twins', since she'd grown used to sensing them all the time. Ying Yang eyes widened in surprise and she swivelled on her knees towards the shogi door of her room, bed hair almost flying into Benimaru's face.

Her brothers. Sasuke, Dai, Daichi and Hiroki were here, waiting for her to come down.

“W-wha... how come...?” she stuttered sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

“Tch. Why don't you go ask them so they can leave?” Slipping one arm round her waist, he gently pulled her against him to work on the tangles in her hair. Benimaru easily weaved his fingers through silky blue strands, now frowning. “Though I hold no ill feelings towards your brothers, the only Matsumoto I want here in Asakusa is you, Aoba. These four are too extreme and although Fuyubi is manageable at times, he makes the twins look tame compared to his personality. But they also intrigue me by showing up this early _and_ before you left: they're asking after you, Konro and I.”

That got her attention and she perked up against him, her expression now more focused.

“Really?”

“Yeah... can we agree that this just can't be good at all? That your father had to send _four_ of your brothers to Asakusa? Don't tell me they suddenly want to spend time with you, there has to be something in your report that must have triggered this decision.”

Susanoo weaved her fingers through the locks that covered her left eye to work on the tangles as well, frowning and eyes closed. No matter how she tried to persuade herself that this could mean something else, she found herself agreeing with Benimaru—her brothers being here most certainly meant that her adventure at the 8th must have helped in the clan's secret researches. Her father must have discovered something really important that might threaten her and Benimaru's town if he sent Sasuke and the triplets to relay the informations to Waka and Konro, in case they still didn't believe in the impending enemy that could spread madness in their home. Aoshi himself might show up.

Yin Yang eyes opened, glowing faintly, and she turned back towards Benimaru. He looked down at her, patiently waiting and pausing in his task.

“Do you mind listening to them, Beni? It may concern the boy with the Adolla Burst from Company 8 and whatever else my family has found out under the grid. Please?” she asked with a serious expression.

He frowned at her. “_That_ important, huh? So your father and uncle must have found something serious if your brothers are asking to talk to us.”

“Most likely. I haven't gone to the compound in a long while, so I must have missed a lot. And I _hate_ being in the dark.” She narrowed her eyes at her best friend. “You said it yourself: if something is about to threaten Asakusa directly, you want in. Anyone threatening our town must answer to both of us and you're the captain. _Our_ captain. _My_ captain,” she growled, flicking his forehead rather hard. “You may hate and distrust the Matsumoto for what they are, but if my father has gone out of his way to send my siblings here, then he must have a valid reason for doing so. Tell us what to do and we'll follow.”

Benimaru caught her hand in his, his gaze intense and boring into her.

“How can we be so sure there's no secret motive behind their presence?” he growled in a low voice. “You've been avoiding the compound for some time and that damn council must have had enough. Maybe they forced your father's hand so they can finally get you settled with one of your clansmen. It could be _anything_ with them, Aoba.” He closed his eyes and groaned in annoyance. He stayed silent for a few minutes before he looked back at her with a more placid expression. “Fine. I'll let them say their piece, then I want them gone.”

That was the best he could allow her brothers, as Benimaru didn't want the people of Asakusa feeling disturbed by the presence of so many Matsumoto around. Susanoo completely understood, as she'd willingly gone through hell to be accepted. Besides, the message was clear: _'They try to take you away, they bleed. And I'm not taking any complaints.'_. She squeezed his hand, nodding with a small smile.

“Thanks, Tiger,” she said gratefully.

The second she pronounced that word, her eyes glazed over and her mind was overcome by... something she absolutely couldn't describe. Or explain.

_From below, Asakusa looked lovely in the warm colours of the sunset. Lovely and just beautiful. It radiated the warmth the Matsumoto compound cruelly lacked, which Susanoo had always complained about. Smiling wide, the kunoichi balanced herself perfectly onto the matoi to admire her town's beauty; her Yin Yang mismatched eyes were glowing softly, somehow matching the sky's colours. _

“_Had I known you'd love flying around, I would have taken you with me the first time.”_

_She leaned back against the man right behind her, smiling wide when he wrapped a protective arm round her waist. Susanoo sighed in bliss as he nuzzled the crook of her neck, his lips closing in on her weak spot. She mewled softly and her soul hummed deep within her, enjoying the feeling of his presence. It felt... so right._

_Her hand found his and he reacted by interlacing their fingers together. Tenderly._

“_Whenever we want, Tiger,” Matsumoto Susanoo said with a beaming smile._

_He smiled on her skin, his Tic-Tac-Toe eyes glowing._

“_Whenever we want,” Shinmon Benimaru repeated with conviction._

_He punctuated this promise with a long kiss pressed on her tattooed shoulder._

When Susanoo came back to reality with wide eyes, she let out a loud gasp and wrenched herself away from Benimaru—_tried to_, at the very least, as her captain caught her arm at the last second and forcibly pulled her back. She fell against him with a groan and turned her head, refusing to meet his gaze. Clicking his tongue, Benimaru got to work; after a flurry of fluid, well-placed blows and kicks in close range from both fighters, the captain managed to wrestle Susanoo against her fūton. Pinning her against the fluffy fūton, he blocked her legs by straddling her and obliged her to face him with a hand gripping her chin, the other holding keeping her hands bound above her head.

Still, she wouldn't look at him. The unusual expression on her face told him she was just as lost as Benimaru was feeling right now, but he wanted answers. And he'll get them from _her_. She'd always tell him the truth and she couldn't hide anything from him.

“Susanoo, look at me. _Look at me, damn it_.” It took her a few seconds, but she did it with a terrifyingly conflicted expression he didn't like on her lovely face. Benimaru leaned in, staring right back. “What the hell was _that_?” he demanded hotly.

The kunoichi shook her head slowly, her eyes wide. “I... I have no idea, Benimaru,” she breathed.

Benimaru's brows were furrowed and he pondered her answer. The Matsumoto were unable to tell lies and always told the truth, no matter what situation—this was a character trait all members from that clan of murderers shared. As their own Yin Yang eyes gave them the uncanny particularity to see the truth in everything and unravel it, there was little they could do to hide it. They had no reason to.

But Susanoo being unable to tell him what they just saw unsettled Benimaru. Deeply. It felt like... a _memory_ or something akin to that. A memory of something between the two of them. Except that they clearly couldn't remember what it was. If his best friend herself couldn't tell, then something was seriously wrong. Benimaru knew she wasn't lying; it wasn't a gut feeling—she just couldn't lie, telling the truth was in her abilities and genes. So what the hell?

“What could it be? A memory?” he asked her.

“Whatever it truly is, it sure felt like it. But I _don't_ remember that, I swear it!” Susanoo firmly shook her head, clearly frustrated. Then she slumped on her bed with a huff, frowning. “Right now, if I try hard to place that 'memory' in my head, I can feel a nasty headache coming. It's pounding and I... I don't like it. Don't you feel the same way, Waka?”

_Waka_. Susanoo sometimes called Benimaru Waka to express a respectful distance between them, as they were captain and lieutenant, and though it had sounded right when she and Karim became an official item, now it felt as if it was wrong to use his official title in the 7th. Her soul thrummed unpleasantly inside, as if expressing discontent, and she tensed with a lost expression. Above her, Benimaru sported the same face as he leaned back, releasing her. His head was indeed starting to pound.

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. He sounded very much lost and he was pressing a hand against his forehead. “My head is killing me right now. What the hell?”

Susanoo wriggled under him to sit up and Benimaru obliged her numbly, sitting back on her fūton. She looked troubled—which he hated. “I need to clear my mind before we get to talk with my brothers,” she said brusquely, swiftly getting up. “This might be a long meeting and I've got somewhere to be. We'll talk after I'm back, since Karim has two days off and I plan on spending them with him.”

She fled into her adjoint bathroom, Benimaru's eyes trailing after her in silence.

* * *

“Ah, Waka,” Konro smiled as he turned to greet his captain, who entered the living-room. “Slept well?”

However, he froze when he saw his expression. Benimaru looked _troubled_. And that rarely happened. The last time Konro had seen him this way was during the Great Hell two years ago... or when it directly concerned Susanoo. And if it was the latter, then it might have something to do with her brothers being here or something else. Either way, the older man didn't like what he was seeing.

Benimaru shook his head with a glance that held a warning. “Not now, Konro,” he hissed before his eyes found the intruders. His gaze thus hardened ever so slightly and he folded his arms beneath his sleeves. “For the four of you to come down from your compound full of bastards, this better be good.”

“Hello to you too, Beni. It's been so long since we last saw each other.” Matsumoto Sasuke smiled 'pleasantly', his Yin Yang mismatched eyes crinkling as he nodded to the captain. Then it came off, sliding from his face really quick. “Why are you so disturbed? Your aura is...”

“Fine. It doesn't concern you at all, so don't ask,” the captain interrupted rudely and coldly. “I'm not taking any complaints right now.”

The tone of his voice garnered everyone's attention and five pairs of confused eyes stared at him. Sasuke and the triplets blinked up at him before exchanging uncertain looks, silently conversing with each other. Susanoo's twin brother then turned back to him, his expression now a bit more guarded. Benimaru tensed inwardly at how much he looked like his best friend right now.

“Well, looks like someone is in a good mood” he joked sarcastically, cocking his head with eyes slowly widening. “Did I spiritually piss on your breakfast or what?”

“Sasuke,” Konro warned in a commanding tone, his eyes narrowing at the young Matsumoto.

The shinobi held up his hands in a placating gesture, his gaze never leaving the captain's. “Just asking what got Beni's panties in a twist, Konro. Because he certainly wasn't that pissed when he greeted us just a moment ago. Has something happened with Susa?”

“It clearly has something to do with big sister,” the triplets chorused together as one. Then Dai shook his head, crossing his arms against his chest as he gazed at Benimaru. “Even she is troubled right now...”

Daichi and Hiroki would have probed more, but Susanoo chose this instant to make her appearance. She emerged fluidly from behind Benimaru, hair still damp from her quick shower and partly tied into a bun, wearing her uniform over a white tank top and black fingerless gloves. All eyes flew to her face, which sported exactly the same expression as Waka—troubled and uncertain. The furrowed brows got Sasuke to frown as well and search her eyes for answers, but what actually got their attention was how she did a stellar job at ignoring Benimaru's pointed stare and went to sit between Sasuke and Hiroki.

She crossed her arms under her cleavage and slammed her face into her twin brother's left shoulder with a sigh, still ignoring her captain, who visibly scowled at her with a fierce expression and set his jaws. He plopped down on a cushion and sat _seiza_ style next to Konro, glaring at his second lieutenant. Needless to say, the atmosphere had now become really tense and the four Matsumoto and Konro didn't know whether to break the silence or just... leave the two best friends alone for a moment.

At a loss, Sasuke cupped his twin's neck in a placating and reassuring gesture and leaned in. She did that gesture whenever she needed his presence and reassurance to soothe her nerves. “What's going on?” he asked her in a whisper in her ear.

“I have absolutely no idea,” she whispered back.

That...wasn't what expected to hear from her. Though he still wanted to probe at her, Sasuke took a huge breath and faced Benimaru and Konro with a serious expression that meant business. The older man sobered up as well and the captain finally shifted his attention to him. Susanoo also lifted her head from his shoulder to gaze up at her brother, her expression now a bit more placid.

“As you must have guessed, we're here to share the results of our investigation about a potential enemy organisation that has caught the attention of the clan,” Sasuke declared. “While you may not believe it because you've never seen what we've seen so far, please listen with an open mind. Can you do that, Beni?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Benimaru said blandly, still aggravated. “Say your piece.”

So the captain and the lieutenant were both in a foul mood. _Interesting_. “This investigation is linked to the mystery of Human Combustion, which we've been conducting for a long while. One day, Uncle Satoshi and Aoshi stumbled upon a suspicious group of 'white clads' doing something strange near Asakusa.” At this, Benimaru, Konro and Susanoo all frowned and leaned in. Sasuke fished something out of his pouch, his expression unsettled. “One of them used this 'thing' on a person.”

He quickly put something on the table and abruptly leaned back with an aghast expression while the triplets recoiled, disgust visible on their features. It was a small vial containing some kind of brown bug inside. Gasping loudly, Susanoo jumped from her spot and landed in a corner of the room, all tense and ready to strike—she had slightly dropped into a defensive stance, her eyes glowing and the rune tattoos visible on her skin, just like her brothers right now. Completely shocked at her reaction, Benimaru and Konro took note of her horrified eyes and ashen expression and looked at the bug inside the vial.

“What the hell is _that_? A bug?” Benimaru barked at Sasuke, his incredulous gaze shifting between the vial and his best friend.

Yin Yang mismatched eyes stared at the captain gravely.

“That fucking bug, Beni, _turns people into_ _Infernals_.”

* * *

**From: Blue Leaf**

_Forget the hoodie: you should be able to notice me with my traditional kimono upper-clothing, eating chocolate Pocky. But with my eyes and hair, I'm sure I'd stand out. Damn, Hibana just had to be attending..._

Karim couldn't help the amused smirk that pulled at his lips as he made his way towards the location where the Rookie Fire Soldier Games would be held. With those long, sky blue locks, that black and blue leaf tattoo over her right eye and those Yin Yang eyes, how could his girlfriend not stand out? Mostly everyone who'd never really seen a Matsumoto in person would probably stare at her in awe before the games could start. His Susanoo was an oddity they sure would like to see unravel. That and her 'hate-hate' relationship with Captain Hibana of the Fifth was very amusing in his eyes; seeing the two women argue and throw some jabs at each other was so entertaining.

Karim typed his answer, ignoring a black-eyed and excitedly talking Rekka behind him (he'd done a number on the ever enthusiastic fucker after cornering him, as telling the whole Company that his girlfriend was a Matsumoto was a low blow). Young Tamaki was trotting beside the fired up bastard, sometimes stealing curious glances at the usually cold and irritated lieutenant.

_I'll try to look very hard, then._

“Texting your woman, Karim?” Rekka probed, grinning widely as he tried to peep. “Is she going to be there? C'mon, tell me how you managed to get Susanoo Matsumoto and I'll stop bothering you for a while.”

Karim's answer was to give him a sharp and well-placed kick in his gut, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. Tamaki gaped at them both, her golden eyes wide in quiet disbelief.

Rekka let out a painful groan. “Guess that's a no, then...”

“You're damn right it is, idiot,” Karim grounded out, sending him a scowl and a glare over his shoulder without stopping for a second. “Now get back up, it would be stupid of us to arrive late.”

Next to him, Huo Yan chuckled heartily and hid his amused smile. “Let's rephrase that: _you_ don't want to arrive late, do you?” he whispered to his friend in a slight conspirational tone.

His smartphone vibrated again and he looked down. Karim almost rolled his eyes.

**From: Blue Leaf**

_I'd be vexed if you didn't see me, Frost._

“Well, we do have two days off after the games, which is a golden opportunity, and I plan on spending them with Susanoo,” he whispered back. “No one else is allowed to interrupt that quality time, as we can barely get any for ourselves. Can you actually blame me?”

“No. Not at all. Besides, you do need to take the edge off once in a while and I couldn't help but notice that dating Lieutenant Matsumoto has remarkably good results.”

Blinking in surprise, Karim glanced at Huo Yan with an inquiring gaze. The taller priest nodded with a warm smile as he looked forward, which wasn't such an unusual sight on him.

“The air is lighter around you whenever you seem to be thinking about her. And you _smile_, Karim. You smile more than you smirk nowadays, though you still scowl just as much. Isn't that a good thing?”

He did that? The priest had no idea that his girlfriend had changed him that much to the point he'd actually be in a constant good mood around people, he still felt the same. Somewhat. _Yeah, somewhat_, Karim thought as he put his phone away and followed Huo Yan. Ever since he'd decided to date Susanoo, he'd been subject to many changes in his pattern and behaviour, which he'd originally found unpleasant at first; having strong romantic feelings for a woman was akin to asking for trouble, and it wasn't as if his life was easy. He was a priest and a Fire Soldier—living to the old saying 'Carpe Diem' would be extremely hard.

But Karim wouldn't mind trying. A small smile pulled at his lips and his gaze softened, which didn't go unnoticed by both Huo Yan and Tamaki. Those months spent with Susanoo were actually the most peaceful and relaxing he'd ever got and that was saying something. Not even meditation with his best friends had made feel so... peaceful. As if all the problems concerning either the mystery of Spontaneous Human Combustion or Rekka (only very recently) went to hell for a long while. It never brought him such great state of mind. And the sex? Karim wasn't ashamed to admit that he fucking _loved_ it. Susanoo had a great body that he enjoyed every time they'd reunite, taking pleasure into bending her to his will. The chemistry between them was mind-blowing, to the point he'd only focus on her and nothing else. And she was most of the time so submissive to him, taking it all with such joy and trust...

He blinked hard and groaned softly, shaking his head with his eyes closed. _Damn, not a good time to think about lewd __and intimate__ activities_, Karim thought with a grimace. Besides, he didn't want to deal with Rekka's annoying probing when Susanoo was going to be there—he'd probably deck the bastard, should he try asking some inappropriate questions to his girlfriend, because he had a feeling she'd thrash his ass with her eyes closed.

Seeing so many Fire Soldiers from all Companies—minus Captain Shinmon's—prevented Huo Yan from asking him if he was all right (he was...just a bit distracted), and Karim's eyes were already scrutinising the crowd in search of familiar blue hair, a bright blue Yin Yang eye with a tattoo over it, a slender body with voluptuous curves and a dark grey kimono. Knowing the fact that she didn't really like being in public with so many people staring, he looked for discreet places while walking around. He even looked up at the building the rookies would be invading, just in case his kunoichi girlfriend hadn't decided to hide up there.

“Looking for hiding places in the building? Not bad of a guess, Frost,” a familiar voice purred at his ear.

Soft lips kissed the shell of his ear in a feathery kiss, making him shiver in warm pleasure. His lips twitched and he snorted. “Just in case you wouldn't try running in a competition that doesn't concern you at all,” he retorted calmly, turning to face his girlfriend. “I think you're actually capable of doing such thing, Leaf.”

Humming, Susanoo blinked in fake surprise. “Would I do something like this?” she wondered out loud, crossing her tattooed arms under her generous cleavage. “Am I really the type to do this, Karim?”

“Totally,” Karim assured flatly, taking one step closer to hover over his girlfriend so he could look down at her. And also because he missed their proximity and her touch. She looked up at him, smiling sweetly when he cupped her left cheek lovingly to uncover her other mismatched eye. He smiled at the kunoichi. “Let's go somewhere else, I despise prying eyes and Tamaki's going to go nuts if she sees you.”

Her lips were so inviting that the priest was dying to press a hard and passionate kiss, just to assert his dominance and show all those bastards who must have ogled her that she was his. _Mine_, he thought fiercely. But Karim refrained his urge. He couldn't kiss her now, even though Company 1 was now fully aware of his relationship with Susanoo, but that didn't mean the Fire Soldiers from other Companies needed to know (if Rekka wanted another beating, he was going to get one). Now wasn't the place and the time to be intimate, not when Tamaki was to represent their Company today and show off her skills. But he just _had_ to.

Wrapping his arm around her neck, Karim steered Susanoo a little further from the crowd with his usual irritated scowl and glare mainly directed at daring males. Some looked away in slight fear, others recoiled from the harshness of his gaze while his girlfriend didn't seem to pay them any mind. When he found a discreet corner where one had to literally pop his head out to get a peep, Karim firmly pinned Susanoo to the wall with his body pressed against hers. He swallowed her light gasp with a hard kiss, one hand tangled in her silky locks to hold her in place. The priest groaned deeply in approval when she relaxed and returned his kiss passionately, winding her arms around his neck to bring him closer.

About a year ago, Karim could go on his routine without ending up annoyed by Rekka's exhaustive behaviour and hounded by his subordinates. Until Susanoo. _Yeah, that was a year ago_, he thought as he parted from his girlfriend's lips for a moment to pull at her hair, his mouth latching at her neck and sucking unabashedly on that weak spot he'd discovered during their second (_real_) intercourse. A primal sense of satisfaction filled him when Susanoo let out a muffled moan that sounded delicious in his ears and arched against him. She pulled at his locks lightly and Karim growled, a surge of pleasure spiking through him. He released her reddened skin, pleased to know that he'd left a visible love bite, and reclaimed her mouth in a more tender kiss.

They reluctantly parted only when they've both run out of breath, with Karim pressing his forehead against the kunoichi's to admire his handiwork. Susanoo was flushed and panting softly, her chest rising and falling against his muscles. Her visible eye was half-way closed, but he could see that it was glowing faintly. Some of the intricate rune tattoos she had glowed on her face as well, faintly, but still present. Since she wasn't wearing her fireproof coat, he could feel her curves and he loved it that way.

Karim smirked rakishly at his girlfriend, cupping her cheek. “Hey there, Leaf,” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

“I missed you too, Frost,” Susanoo breathed with a beaming smile, still a bit dazed. “Though I wasn't expecting such welcome... maybe we should be apart for much longer and see how we behave?”

He snorted, scowling a little. “If we actually do this, we'll have to make up for too many missed intercourses and that would become a nuisance after a while,” the priest mused before nuzzling her neck with his lips. “Nuisances are only nuisances.”

“_Liar_,” she said in a sing-song voice, smiling wide. She shivered and gasped softly when he pressed a long kiss on her weak spot. “Admit it, that would be a relaxing getaway for both of us and we wouldn't have my brothers peeping on us. Like right now.”

Karim froze in the midst of pulling down the left sleeve of Susanoo's kimono, opening his eyes. Did he hear that right? 'Brothers' and 'right now' sounded like words she didn't want to say in the same sentence, which had the priest slowly looking up at her with a confused frown. Susanoo now looked sheepish and annoyed at the same time, nodding to his left. Following her lead, Karim's eyes widened in surprise when he noticed a young man leaning against the opposite wall, his gaze trailed on them. He had short, spiky sky blue hair that was slicked back, identical Yin Yang mismatched eyes, identical blue and black leaf tattoo over his right eye and identical feline features that made him regal and handsome. The man was close to his age and was, without a doubt, Susanoo's male clone. He was wearing black baggy trousers, black boots, a midnight blue shirt with long sleeves and black fingerless gloves. There was a katana strapped on his back. Idly, the priest wondered if he had the same full back tattoo as his sister and if his arms were also covered with the same ink.

_Did he just... materialise out of thin air or what?_ Karim couldn't help but think, reluctantly pulling away from Susanoo as the intruder turned his gaze towards him. Though he didn't mean to, the priest still felt tense as he felt like the Matsumoto was looking through his soul. He felt... naked under his eyes, and that truly wasn't a pleasant feeling. They sized each other up for a few seconds before the shinobi straightened up from his position, leisurely walking towards them. His eyes turned mischievous and softened once they landed on Susanoo.

“Why are you complaining?” his girlfriend's clone drawled in a teasing tone. “You said it yourself back at the guardhouse: that you were delighted to spend some time with us, so we're merely obliging you. The triplets were the ones who wanted to invade your privacy on your days off with your boyfriend right here.”

Susanoo groaned, clearly frustrated. “And knowing you, I bet you three must have shared ideas about how we intended to spend those days off. Am I right or not?” she snarked as she poked her head out over Karim's shoulder to glare at someone behind him.

Three amused voices had Karim whirl around in shock. There behind him stood three younger male versions of Susanoo and the other guy, their Ying Yang eyes crinkling in mirth. “Of course you are, sis!” they all said in unison before chuckling, as if they'd just made a great joke.

The kunoichi groaned tiredly before gently smashing her face against Karim's hard chest, her arms wrapped around his waist. Too many Matsumoto were gathered in one place and that was actually amazing to witness for someone who hadn't seen any member of the infamous ninja clan. _So these four clones are her brothers_, _huh_, Karim idly thought as he examined the four shinobi with piercing eyes, his fingers weaving through Susanoo's silky blue locks. She'd talked fondly about them and had even showed him pictures of them all one day, presenting her siblings one by one and showed him how to recognise Dai, Daichi and Hiroki (they had a tendency to mess with everyone's heads at the compound). Fuyubi and Aoshi were missing, though.

So the one close to his age was most certainly Sasuke, his girlfriend's twin brother. Judging by the way he was glaring at his proximity to Susanoo, he had a serious case of sister complex he wasn't even trying to hide. It made Karim smirk mockingly at him. Though he'd try to be on his best behaviour with her siblings, the priest was tempted to see how far he could push the twin's buttons just to make the difference between him and his sister. Dai was the one with two long locks braided and bandaged, falling on his shoulders, Daichi had a black headband with the clan's symbol in his hair and Hiroki was the one who looked like a hedgehog. All of them had the same tattoo over their right eye. Easy to recognise, but as to deal with them?

_Still_... “Correct me if I'm wrong, but the four of you aren't Fire Soldiers, let alone affiliated with Company 7 under Captain Shinmon, so what are you outsiders doing out here?” Karim asked in a drawl.

At this, Susanoo lifted her face from his chest and exchanged looks with Sasuke. They seemed to be having a mental conversation the priest couldn't help but watch in silence, wondering what they could be discussing about without words. When Sasuke finally nodded, she looked back up at him with a cool expression that meant business. So he sobered up as well.

“I told them about your intentions of investigating Rekka in secret,” Susanoo told him in a whisper, getting close to him. “We've been investigating on our own as well and my brothers are here to back you up.”

Oh? Now that was an interesting development. Which also explained why they were talking in hushed tones, as anyone could peep (especially _Rekka_, who happened to be here for the games). Karim looked over at Sasuke and the triplets, who nodded back at him with their strange eyes never straying, then back down at their sister.

“I see,” he whispered as well. “How about we all meet at my brother's house? He won't be there, so we'll be more at ease to talk freely and go over these matters.”

“Better there than anywhere else your friend might pop up, as he's the main point we need to talk to you about,” Sasuke drawled in a low tone, frowning. He met Karim's gaze head on, strolling up until he was face-to-face with the priest. “What we'll reveal might be shocking and if you don't want to believe a single word because you don't know and can't trust us yet, rely on Susanoo. She'll tell you exactly what she's been sensing from Hoshimiya Rekka, which is what _we_ sensed from him. It won't be easy to accept what might really be the truth, Lieutenant Flam, but will you listen with an open mind?”

If he was lying, then Sasuke Matsumoto was doing a stellar job at keeping a straight face. But Karim couldn't see why he would, not when his precious sister was involved in this matter; Sasuke's eyes were as serious and cool as Susanoo's when she'd be all business, reinforcing the striking resemblance they bore. Why would he be joking about such crucial thing as Spontaneous Human Combustion? The priest liked that. If Karim needed to have an open mind to consider all possibilities about Rekka, especially about what he found out just two months ago, then he would do so.

The priest nodded. “Of course I can do that. And I'll tell you what I've discovered so far,” he said truthfully, then extended a hand towards Sasuke. “Thank you for your help, I'm grateful.”

To his surprise, Sasuke looked positively stunned with his eyes wide and staring at his hand in quiet disbelief. As if astounded to be offered someone's hand for real. For a brief second, Karim was struck by how much he looked like Susanoo right now—she bore the same expression when he asked the kunoichi to hang out with him in Shinjuku while on patrol without Huo Yan and Rekka. The genuine surprise and hesitation had made the twins look so... vulnerable and shy. And when Sasuke sent him a small, but sincere smile with crinkling Yin Yang mismatched eyes, Karim somehow knew he'd probably get along with this brother.

He smiled back when Sasuke took his hand, causing the other three Matsumoto to smile as well and get closer to them. “So are we,” Sasuke, Dai, Daichi and Hiroki said in unison.

There was so much relief and a touch of happiness in their voices that Karim was so reminiscent of his girlfriend back then, who wasn't his girlfriend yet. Just seeing her smile was enough to make him feel happy. The kind of happy that just made the priest want to see it again for himself.

He was about to talk when the Matsumoto all tensed up around him, whipping their heads towards the corner he and Susanoo had come round to have some privacy. Their eyes were narrowed.

“Scatter!” the kunoichi hissed in a very low voice.

Karim barely had the time to blink before Sasuke, Dai, Daichi and Hiroki all but vanished on the spot, surprising him with their skills. Soft hands cupped his cheeks and he was pulled down for a deep kiss by Susanoo, who wrapped her arms around his neck. That was when he felt someone approaching—someone they didn't want around. _Those senses are amazing_, Karim thought as he returned his girlfriend's kiss, going harder on her with a deep growl. She hummed in approval, smiling against his lips.

“Karim, Lieutenant Matsumoto, that's where you two were hiding!” Rekka exclaimed a bit loudly, making the Second Generation cringe. “I was getting a bit worried that you'd left without cheering Tamaki on!”

_Goddamn_. This guy had the worst timing ever. Now irritated at being interrupted during an important conversation _and_ an intimate make-out, Karim parted from Susanoo with a groan and closed his eyes to calm down, his forehead pressed against hers. “I can't believe this, he's everywhere,” he mumbled to no one in particular.

Chuckling, Susanoo stroked his cheek with an amused expression. “Come on, Frost,” she coaxed with one last kiss. “The competition will start soon enough.”

That, he understood. But what her brothers had just said before vanishing caught his attention and he wanted to hear more of it. So the Matsumoto clan was also trying to solve the bloody mystery of Spontaneous Human Combustion on their own, without the help of the Special Fire Force or the Church of the Sun. And if they got something on Rekka, he wanted to know too. He wanted to know if one of his closest friends had indeed betrayed them and became a son of a bitch. So he'll wait until the Rookie Fire Soldier Games were over to finally have Susanoo for himself and listen to her brothers.

He sighed in resignation, reluctantly pulling away from his girlfriend, and raised a curious brow when he noticed Tamaki beside the ever smiling Rekka. She was staring at Susanoo in wonder, blinking.

“This is Lieutenant Susanoo Matsumoto from the 7th, right?” she said out loud, garnering the kunoichi's attention. She straightened with a little squeak and a blush when her gaze caught the infamous Yin Yang mismatched eyes of the Matsumoto and she gulped. “S-she... Lieutenant Karim's girlfriend is beautiful!”

Rekka grinned his grinning star smile, as if he'd won the lottery. “And you haven't seen her na—”

Two bright blue arms, long and big, suddenly shot out from Susanoo's back. There were gold ornaments around the wrists, which seemed familiar on a certain goddess Karim had seen in a book. He watched in awe as those arms aimed for Rekka at an alarming speed.

* * *

Karim had no mercy in his lazy eyes as he stared down at Rekka's fallen form next to him. In fact, he couldn't even find it in himself to smirk in dark amusement at his bruised face after Susanoo gave him a swift beating in front of a horror-stricken Tamaki. Sasuke's words were still ringing in his mind, meaningful and laced with foreshadowing—what he'd listen to if he were to trust her brothers' words and the proof they were carrying was sure going to turn his life upside down. _If Rekka really is a traitor, __then_...

With a painful groan, Rekka managed to pull himself up to his knee. “She certain does live up to her reputation, her martial arts style is too fast for me to follow and counter,” he whined, nursing his head.

The blows and slaps he'd received from Kali must be seriously painful for him if he was struggling to stand up, and that was a first. Only Captain Burns managed to wreck him during training sessions until he passed out with that stupid grinning star smile on his face.

“You so deserved those bruises,” Karim quipped, his eyes now trailing after Susanoo's form walking away. He tried not to let his gaze wander down to her hips, which were swaying at each angry step she took away from him. “That's what you get for ogling Susanoo.”

“And she kicks hard!”

“At the very least, she didn't crack your skull in half, so be thankful to still have your brain working full time. And she did what _I_ wanted to do: what the hell were you thinking, trying to tell Tamaki that you walked in on my girlfriend and I?” He huffed in frustration. “Stupid.”

The punk priest followed after his girlfriend. Karim had to get away from him, he just _had_ to. It wouldn't do him any good if Rekka started feeling suspicious of his behaviour, but how could he keep acting as if one of his precious best friends wasn't doing something unholy and killing people? This feeling of disgust still wouldn't leave him, intense and gripping each time Rekka was around, so he was grateful for Susanoo being near to calm his nerves and mind. She'd know how to help him relax and enjoy the games. But still... he didn't want to imagine the worse because he'd been wrong about his best friend and he didn't know for how long.

He found his girlfriend talking to Tamaki, of all people. The sight surprised Karim so much that it raised his brow for the second time today; little Tamaki looked a bit flustered and red, her palms joined as if she was begging Susanoo to keep a secret or something, and the kunoichi had a perplexed expression on her face. Although it seemed really genuine, Karim was able to catch the slight uneasiness on those beautiful features and that worried him.

The cat-girl was the first to notice him approaching, since Susanoo's back was facing him, and she saluted him with a tense expression. “Lieutenant Karim, I-I wasn't bothering Lieutenant Matsumoto, I promise!” she stammered, trying to justify herself. “T-this is the first time I've actually met a real Matsumoto...”

Susanoo chuckled heartily, clearly amused by Tamaki's antics. “It's fine, I didn't really mind your questions,” she reassured the cat-girl, leaning back against Karim when his arm snaked around her waist to pull her closer to him. “Though I can't help but think you've wanted my opinion for some... personal matters?”

“'Personal matters'?” Karim repeated, frowning in confusion. He snatched a long Pocky from the kunoichi's box and bit into it. “Care to explain that?”

“Interested in listening to girls chatting about men they like in the Companies?” Susanoo asked him teasingly, turning to press a light kiss to his cheek.

“Not really, no,” he said flatly, scowling in distaste. “That's useless nonsense that might corrupt my brain and I need it to work on paperwork, prayers, Infernals and you.”

Susanoo laughed quietly, her visible eye crinkling, and it was taking Karim all his might not to chuckle along in front of Tamaki. Believe it or not, he still had a reputation to protect as the brash and bad-tempered priest of Company 1—the person who would mess you up with his rude behaviour—and the fact that he had a girlfriend he loved wasn't going to make him softer. He focused on the young Second Class, his expression all serious.

“Tamaki, you should get ready,” he instructed firmly. “The competition will start soon.”

“Yes, sir!” the cat-girl said in a salute. Then, to Susanoo's surprise, she bowed to her in respect with a smile. “It may have been a short conversation, but I'm really glad to have met you, Lieutenant Matsumoto. I hope we can talk again soon.”

She scurried away, leaving the couple alone. Once she was completely out of earshot, Susanoo turned towards him with a light frown that Karim didn't like. He _knew_ that frown, because it usually implied that she was worried about something related to their common problem.

“Leaf, what's wrong?” he inquired, leaning towards her.

“Kotatsu Tamaki has a crush on Hoshimiya Rekka, right?” she asked, crossing her arms under her cleavage and gazing up at him. “She was asking me some tips about... getting him to notice her more than the others, since I've been dating the cold Lieutenant Karim Flam from Company 1 for a while now. That's very concerning, Karim. Especially if...”

He frowned in turn, grinding his teeth. “Especially if what we were discussing earlier turns out to be true,” he finished for Susanoo, who nodded with a grim expression. “Yeah, I know, it's very unfortunate: it might complicate things for everyone if she gets involved in his shit because of her growing feelings for him. She'll want to help Rekka in whatever the hell he's doing, which she'd do without questioning his actions.”

The thought of seeing Tamaki so taken with Rekka had amused him at first, because she looked like a puppy that had found a good master. But now that he suspected his close friend of doing something as horrible as turning people into Infernals, he felt _disturbed_. Almost scared shitless for his subordinate and all the others who looked up to Rekka. If what Susanoo and her brothers had found out about him turned out to be true, then he's been using his position as a priest to do God knows what. But his reasons were still unknown, as this was still killing innocent people who looked up to the Special Fire Force to protect them. If Rekka truly was up to no good, he needed to be dealt with.

Karim felt sick to his stomach.

Soft hands cupped his cheeks and he looked down at his girlfriend, who gazed at him with a miffed expression.

“You're brooding and the competition hasn't even started yet, that's not a good thing,” she chided with a frown. “Okay, quick meditation. Follow my lead, Frost?” After debating for five seconds, he nodded with an annoyed groan and she gave him a small smile. “Close your eyes. Take a deep breath...”

Meditation sessions with Rekka and Huo Yan always helped whenever he ought to find some peace of mind, though it was more of a chore because the exhuberant idiot would always talk, but now? It was a hassle and what the Matsumoto had just told him had planted doubts about his faith. Karim did what he was told, allowing Susanoo to guide him through his mental crisis.

“Find your centre. Let go of every negative thought and leave them behind. Clear your mind. Visualise a field of flowers in which you're sitting in, alone. Feel the aura of peace surrounding you...”

Her soft unobstrusive voice was so lulling, like a lullaby sung to Karim that reminded him of his mother, and it was oh so soothing. He could definitely imagine that field of flowers, so full of life and colours—colours everywhere. He could imagine himself sitting in the middle of it, soaking up in the peaceful environment with his eyes closed. Upon feeling such peace, the priest immediately felt his spirits lifted and his mind lighter again. He stayed like this, surrounded by Susanoo, for a few more minutes before he dropped his forehead against hers and sighed in bliss.

Karim felt much better now and he couldn't help the smile that graced his lips as he opened his eyes to look down at his bright-eyed girlfriend.

“Damn, Leaf,” he whispered to her, his hand cupping the nape of her neck. “Projecting peace through your aura so I can feel it settle in my mind. Nice. Didn't know you could meditate this way. We should do this more often.”

Susanoo hummed pleasantly, her gaze warm. “This should have been an option from the beginning, Lieutenant.”

“Oh, what's this? Gravel from Company 1 and a Matsumoto getting all loved up during the Rookie Fire Soldier Games?” a catty, snobby voice purred behind Karim. “How unusual, as it's almost cute.”

Susanoo's eye _twitched_. Her peace suddenly bubbled and her senses all flared up, as if triggered—and they had a good reason to alert her, as she knew the owner of that annoying voice and she absolutely despised her from the second they met. Karim watched as her expression easily fell into Shinmon Benimaru's best resting bitch face and she looked behind Karim just as he was turning, with the two coming face-to-face with a gorgeous woman with long pink hair, blue eyes with pink flowers as pupils. She was wearing a rather revealing dress with a split, the uniform coat with the number of her Special Fire Force Company on her left sleeve and high heels. Karim studied his girlfriend's face intently, expecting the worse. Though it was closed off at best, he somehow had an inkling she'd already come up with a plethora of insults for the intruding captain.

Only Princess Hibana could make Matsumoto Susanoo forget all her good manners in a matter of seconds. And it got worse when the captain had the audacity to smirk at the lovers, opening her fancy fan to conceal a part of her pretty face.

“I have to say, the sight is far from unbecoming but are you sure the Holy Sol will accept such union? Breaking a vow of celibacy is one thing, but being smitten with a shinobi belonging to a clan of murderers that doesn't embrace the religion? You two are asking for the moon.” She punctuated the last sentence with a coquettish giggle, her eyes crinkling. “How... _naive_.”

Susanoo didn't even flinch at her words and Karim had to admire her wits. “Maybe love is a concept you've forgotten to remember or you actually fail to grasp, you crazy Haijima hyena. I wouldn't be surprised if you did, considering how big your head must feel with all the secrets you're hiding,” she shot back in a disinterested voice.

Shit. _Holy shit_, Karim couldn't help but think as a vein appeared on Hibana's left temple and her nostrils flared. She looked like an angry cat about to pounce, but Susanoo wasn't even fazed and kept staring with the same expression. He'd forgotten how sharp and rude his girlfriend could be when tickled the wrong way. The priest resisted the urge to facepalm. _Here we go_.

“Your manners are appalling, Matsumoto!” Hibana hissed hotly, snapping her fan shut. “Watch that mouth of yours before I mess it up!”

“Do you want to get slapped, Haijima witch? That will probably shut you up so I won't have to hear that maniacal laugh from Asakusa any more.” Susanoo narrowed her eyes dangerously at Hibana. “So go play dominatrix over there with your rookies, we don't need your probing.”

“Now listen here, you little babbling wench!”

“Heh! Look who's talking! A former nun who's not afraid of using her charms and curves to get whatever the hell she wants! You think you're better than me, hyena?”

Karim's brow twitched and his expression grew miffed. “Insulting a captain and not even caring about the rank. Yeah, you're _definitely_ Shinmon's twin, Leafy,” he grumbled, crossing his arms against his chest. “How about you two behave like the grown-ups you believe yourself to be and part ways peacefully so the competition can start?”

Hibana and Susanoo were now about to throw themselves at each other's throat, completely forgetting that they were in public and supposedly adults. They were also garnering attention to their group, with Fire Soldiers from all Companies watching the exchance with either uneasy or awed expressions—because yeah, there was a Matsumoto at the Rookie Fire Soldier Games and she was invested in a verbal jousting with Captain Princess Hibana, who had a reputation of being a bitch with a catty, sharp tongue. Karim also swore that he saw Captain Burns' shoulders shake with silent laughter, his eyes not missing a piece of the show.

Two pairs of pissed off gazes shot to the priest, with two gorgeous ladies snarling at him, and Karim inwardly flinched at the display of bloodlust he felt from his girlfriend. Even her gaze seemed to say _'If you don't get me away from this hyena, I'll paint the halls of Haijima Industries ruby red with her blood!'_ and he was _not_ imagining it. She'd definitely do it.

Groaning in annoyance, though he wanted to laugh, Karim caught Susanoo by the arm. “Let's go somewhere else, the games are about to begin,” he grumbled to his girlfriend, before saluting the still irate Hibana. “My apologies, Captain Hibana.” Then he dragged his kunoichi away from her, now scowling.

“Tch. Gravel should only apologise when they're told to, not willingly,” Hibana quipped haughtily.

They hadn't even made five steps away that Susanoo stopped with a hum, preventing Karim from going any further. Then she turned back towards the pink-haired scientist, eyes glowing. A wide smile slowly spread on her pouty mouth, bloodthirsty at best. The killing intent also grew around her, threatening and sinister.

Karim grew alarmed, his sleepy eyes widening. “Susanoo, you better not—_shit!_”

“Come forth, Kali,” Susanoo purred.

The same two flaming arms that grew from her back reappeared to stretch straight towards Captain Hibana at a frightening speed, who seemed frozen and rooted on her spot in morbid fascination. Gasps and shouts from the soldiers at Company 5 echoed, screaming at their captain to dodge, but she was too slow to react; the right hand from Susanoo's flaming arms slapped Hibana's left cheek so hard that it resonated around the field. Her head dropped on the left from Karim's stupefied perspective, whose mouth dropped in complete disbelief.

“One!” the kunoichi purred heartily, pushing up the locks covering left eye to watch her handiwork.

then Susanoo's left flaming hand slapped the scientist on the right cheek, with her head following the movement to the left.

“Two! How do you like that, Haijima lapdog?”

The pink-haired spitfire recoiled and stumbled backwards, whining in pain and holding her reddened, swollen hamster-like cheeks with a scrunched up expression. She even nearly fell on her back as she tripped on her own feet, but was luckily caught by many of her (female) subordinates. _I don't believe this_, Karim thought with a deep groan and a loud facepalm while his girlfriend burst out laughing, immensely proud of her work on the captain. The flaming arms died out and disappeared with little embers flying away in the wind.

Susanoo released her hair, smiling widely. “I could do more, but this should be enough to calm you down, I think,” she declared with a satisfied sigh. She turned towards Karim with crinkling eyes, still giggling a little. “I'm done, we can go sit down. Don't look so irritated, she so deserved this.”

“She's gonna retaliate one of these days, Susanoo.”

“Oh yeah? I'll be waiting, then. If she ever recovers, because Kali hits hard.”

She dragged him away from their spot and the stares, who followed her like a moth attracted to vivid flames, and Karim didn't even feel like resisting. He didn't even seem to notice that Susanoo was dragging him by his hand, having interlaced their fingers, because he was still replaying in his mind the slapping show everyone had just been witnessed to. Hibana must be screeching from the background, insulting and cursing Susanoo to the pits of hell, but her voice was but an annoying sound he easily tuned out. Karim didn't care about that—what he was fearing was a comment from his captain about his girlfriend slapping the shit out of another captain and walking away from the consequences like a proud peacock (monkey) in a very good mood.

_My girlfriend just bitch-slapped Captain Princess Hibana of the Fifth with her Ignition Ability and is laughing her ass out about it_, he thought with a devastated expression that still managed to make him look like he was irritated to hell. Shit. Now every Fire Soldier from the Special Fire Force will talk about it for weeks because it was the best event of the year—a kunoichi from the last shinobi clan had just beaten Captain Hibana's bitchy ass. Not even the Rookie Fire Soldier Games could top that. Karim will need to have a chat with his girlfriend about this, because there was no fucking way the captain of the Fifth will let that slide. That dominatrix would try something later on.

Since Susanoo hadn't bothered to remain discreet with her 'hate-hate' relationship with the pink-haired 'princess' of the Special Fire Force, she seemed more at ease around the other Fire Soldiers; they found a spot near the building the rookies will have their competition, standing side by side as they discussed the purpose of such event. As his girlfriend was based in Asakusa and only cared about that district, she asked him questions about the Rookie Fire Soldier Games and Karim answered them, happy to have diverted her attention back to him after that stunt. He had to fend off Chief Platoon Hajiki, from the Second, who seemed eager to have a little chat with Susanoo, because he strongly believed that the army boy wanted to have a good laugh over the bitch-slap show he'd witnessed with his comrades.

When it was finally time for the competition to start, all rookies were gathered in front of the building and Susanoo's keen eyes focused on them.

“Inside this building, you'll find a simulated fire scene,” the instructor spoke up loud enough for everyone to hear. “Your objectives are as follows: overcome the obstacles within, rescue any who require it, and be the first one to reach the crewman who's posing as an Infernal.”

Above them, said crewman was waving at the rookies. After one last survey around the young recruits, the instructor's eyes hardened.

“Ready, rookies?”

His answer was met with all the rookies dropping into a stance, about ready to start running. Susanoo hummed and surveyed each one of them with a placid expression. Her eyes seemed to linger on the two new recruits from the 8th, then she folded her arms beneath her sleeves with a small smile.

“Begin!” the instructor exclaimed, snapping his fingers to let out a bright red flame fly.

All brats ran towards the building, with Tamaki running slightly up ahead. Well, except one—the one called Devil's Footprints stayed behind for a few seconds, seemingly pondering how to get up there. Karim raised a curious brow at his attitude. Was the brat actually feeling that cocky and confident about his success in the games? The only one that felt this confident had been Rekka, back when he, the bastard and Huo Yan were the brand new rookies of the 1st.

“Well? What's he doing?” Karim grumbled, unimpressed.

Susanoo smiled next to him. “Being smarter than his peers,” she responded.

And she was proven right: the boy ignited his feet and shot off from the ground, flying directly over his fellow rookies and going straight towards the building. Karim heard Tamaki's shout of indignation from where he was, which made him sigh and Susanoo snigger in amusement.

“That sneaky move is going to trigger Tamaki,” Karim remarked, pointing towards Rekka's subordinate.

“_Nekomata_!” Tamaki shouted, using her own fire powers.

Karim huffed. “Called it.”

Bright red flames, taking the form of cat claws, tails and ears, sprouted out of the rookie's parts of her body. This way, she truly looked like a cat and even started running on all fours like a real feline. Susanoo raised her brows in delight, pleasantly surprised.

“She's agile,” she commented as she watched Tamaki's running form. “So her Ignition Ability gives her all the attributes of a feline. Wonder if she can become as fast and agile as Hinata and Hikage actually are.”

Dark, sleepy eyes glanced at her. “Why? Are you implying the twins can beat Tamaki in terms of agility and speed?” he asked, curious.

“Totally. I took care of their training personally, since I introduced them to the tag game all over Asakusa. They've become beasts at it. So yes, the two hellions would totally annihilate the feline girl. Interesting,” Susanoo chuckled before blowing a rebellious lock of hair out of the way. “I'm sure the 1st has top notch Ignition Abilities and solid combat training that make you seem fearsome, but I'd _love_ to see you fight either Waka or even my cousins. This should be... entertaining.”

“Sounds like you'd enjoy the bloodshed,” Karim countered with a sweatdrop.

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

He snorted, scowling in mild annoyance while she chuckled. Still, his lips quirked upward a little and he couldn't resist swiping a finger on her cheek to caress the smooth skin.

* * *

A few minutes later, the kunoichi stood straighter in attention with a heavy frown on her face, her visible eye glowing. Her gaze never left the Haijima building and strayed towards the upper floor, where she could sense the disturbance in Devil's Footprints' aura. _What the hell? Why is Kusakabe so distraught and scared right now?_ Susanoo thought as she narrowed her eyes to use her ability. Shinra's aura was there alright, as well as the other rookies' and the crewmen, but there was someone else in there. Someone uninvited. Someone... very dangerous and mysterious. The dots in Susanoo's Ying Yang pupils spun wildly, trying to identify the intruder in the Rookie Fire Soldier Games.

His aura was dark, but not evil. He seemed to be... _grey_. Standing between good and evil. But still, she had no idea who the hell he might be. And that wasn't good, because he was much stronger than Shinra and could easily kill him. An alarming thought ran through her mind, leading her back to the conversation she had with her brothers, Benimaru and Konro early this morning.

“_Also, there's a strange person that's been bothering us for a while now,” Sasuke said, his eyes narrowing as they glowed. The Ying Yang symbol spun wildly as he turned towards Susanoo, staring straight into her eyes. “So far, we have no description of him, but we managed to sense his aura—he's dark for sure, but doesn't seem evil. I'd say he's in the grey. If you encounter him one day and even get to talk to him, report directly to Aoshi, Susanoo. Big brother is in as well. He's dangerous and too mysterious for us, but intriguing. We can't rule him out as a potential ally or an enemy for now, but our eyes don't lie. He's got a purpose.”_

Pursing her lips, Susanoo pondered this possibility. The aura matched Sasuke's words to a T, so it must be the person he was talking about. But what the hell was he doing, interfering with the Games while the rookies were showing off their skills to be judged?

“What's wrong, Leafy?” Karim asked her in a low voice in her ear, his hand on her shoulder.

“You've got an uninvited intruder who's infiltrated the games just now,” she responded in hushed whispers.

Karim's eyes widened. “What?” he hissed, disbelief lacing his tone before he turned back towards the building. “Who the hell could that be?”

“No idea, but I can sense his aura and Ignition Ability. He's much stronger than all the rookies combined and... he's fighting Kusakabe from the 8th right now!”

Just then, a tremor shook the entire building and the ground with it, surprising everyone. Karim cursed, easily regaining his footing while his girlfriend merely stayed balanced on her feet.

“What the hell?”

“What's going on inside?”

Susanoo scowled as she willed herself to remain grounded. Her senses were screaming at her to interfere and do something, as young Kusakabe's aura was currently drumming from within and being overwhelmed by this intruder's—he could die. But something was shifty with this man's aura and she couldn't pinpoint what or why. It was threatening alright, but there was not enough killing intent coming off from the man; did he actually come here just to kill Fire Soldiers? Could it be that he was after Kusakabe of all people because he happened to have an Adolla Burst?

If she interfered with the Rookie Fire Soldier Games, Susanoo would be reprimanded for sure; she wasn't a rookie and the 7th didn't partake in events that involved other Companies from the Fire Force, so the excuse of being from the Matsumoto clan wasn't going to cut it. If she got caught sniffing around, there was a chance the Holy Sol will seize this opportunity to bother her family, ask them to break their vow of neutrality and get involved with matters that might threaten the false 'peace' of the Tokyo Empire. Only if they got wind of this Evangelist deity and the White Clads. And Susanoo knew the Matsumoto would _loathe_ having to answer to the old relic that was the damn Emperor, most probably even thinking of splitting his throat open at the alter of the Holy See if he tried anything.

She gritted her teeth and fisted her hands in her sleeves. _Damn_. Having to stay put while feeling the desire to help really sucked. Though she'd rather rip her tongue off and give it to an Infernal than bow to those zealous followers of the Holy Sol, she couldn't just stand by while Kusakabe might die before he got to see his purpose fulfilled.

Other tremors shook the building and the ground altogether, this time more firmly. As far as Susanoo could tell, the boy was still alive and kicking, so it was a slight relief, but the intruder clearly wasn't finished with him. Oh, how she wanted to go inside right now and see what the hell was going on—sensing auras wasn't the same as seeing everything. So she waited with the others, waited and waited.

Until, many minutes later, Kusakabe Shinra, Boyle Arthur and Kotatsu Tamaki suddenly burst out of the ceiling, immediately followed by a huge explosion. Ying Yang eyes widened in surprise as the three rookies were first propelled into the sky a little by the big blast, then started to freefall to meet an unfortunate end.

“Tamaki!” Karim shouted in alarm, his own eyes wide in slight panic.

He ran forward, as well as Huo Yan and Rekka, to catch the falling cat-girl. However, the three of them were beaten to it by their captain, who literally jumped and surged through the air like a rocket. Tamaki was caught safely in his arms, which made Susanoo sigh in relief. Shinra would also be fine with the two crewmen he'd saved, as his Ignition Ability would do the trick. But Knight King Arthur?

The kunoichi didn't hesitate one second and jumped in. She jumped high and surged through the air, her arms wrapping themselves around the younger Fire Soldier so she was carrying him bridal style—just to spite him. And the expression on his face was just too hilarious to miss out; those wide blue eyes projecting the horror he was feeling at being carried like a princess by a woman were just too much for Susanoo, who smiled widely at him, her mismatched eyes glowing in mischief.

“My apologies for saving you, Lord Boyle,” she purred teasingly at him.

“B-b-b-but...,” he stammered out, unable to form a coherent sentence to express his shock and humiliation.

Susanoo chuckled, landing safely on the ground five feet away from Company 8 with Arthur in her arms. She promptly let go of him as soon as she straightened up, leaving the boy to crash softly with a groan, and turned back towards the flaming inferno that was that Haijima building. Her smile fell as seriousness crept back on her lovely feline features, her eyes searching for something. _Anything_ that might help her brothers. She looked around the floor for the mysterious man's aura, but to her surprise, there was nothing. The kunoichi expanded her senses all around the area, feeling all auras. She distinguished all of them, familiarised herself with them to find the intruder... but nothing. He'd completely vanished.

There were traces of his aura around the premises, but the person wasn't there any more. Susanoo scowled and huffed. _Might as well go up there with the boys_, she thought as she folded her arms in her sleeves. They were already around, concealed and waiting to get inside.

Behind her, Arthur coughed and sat on the floor.

“Arthur! Arthur, are you all right?” Oze Maki exclaimed as she ran over to the pair, flanked by Lieutenant Hinawa. “That was some nasty explosion!”

“Yeah, I'm mostly unharmed. Thanks to Lady Susanoo, I didn't end up crushed on the ground,” he said, his gaze finding Susanoo's back.

The kunoichi turned back to the Fire Soldiers, eyes set on Arthur. “Who was that inside?” she asked the rookie. “He infiltrated the games to talk to Kusakabe Shinra and started attacking you as soon as you interrupted him along with Kotatsu Tamaki. What did he look like?”

“H-how did you know there was someone else?” Arthur asked dumbly, staring up at her in disbelief.

Unamused, Susanoo pointed at herself with a brow risen. “Kunoichi. Heightened senses. Affinity to people's auras and energy. Matsumoto specialty? We're connected to the environment and life like no other, so it was easy for me to pick up this dark and strong aura.” She frowned at the blonde knight. “Have you ever seen him before the Rookie Fire Soldier Games?”

“No, not at all, my lady.”

Hinawa narrowed his eyes at her. “We're thankful for you saving our recruit, but those questions of yours are suspicious. What are you implying?”

But Susanoo turned her heel and promptly left the members of Company 8, refusing to answer that. She picked up Karim's aura and found him with his peers from Company 1, crowding Captain Burns and Tamaki. Sensing her eyes on him, he glanced at her and nodded with a relieved expression. _'Everything's fine here. You?'_ his eyes seemed to convey.

Susanoo shook her head and cocked it to the side, furrowing her brows and looking pointedly towards the building. _'No. There's something here I need to investigate.'_ she said back, her eyes going back to Karim. He frowned slightly at her and his gaze hardened. She understood the message and nodded serenely, promising to tell him what she and her brothers will find in the remains.

If she still got to spend those two days with her boyfriend, of course.

* * *

It was only when night had fallen that the Matsumoto secretly infiltrated the burnt building, filling in like silent shadows past the Fire Soldiers present on the fire scene. The siblings directly headed upstairs, where the fight broke out between Kusakabe Shinra and the intruder; Yin Yang mismatched eyes already glowing to study the scene, Susanoo slowly stepped out of the shadows along with her brothers and looked around. The structure was destroyed and heavily fragilised, which meant that the fight had required some vicious and strong firepower to do that much damage.

But something else caught her attention on the floor. Something slightly shiny and... disturbing. It was everywhere in the room, like a white substance in the dark. Her eyes could reveal and analyse everything, which was almost a curse when it came to gruesome things. Blinking hard to overcome her uneasiness, Susanoo knelt with a frown. It looked like some kind of powder. Ash, maybe?

“Guys? Come take a look at this and tell me what you feel from that,” she called out in whispers. “Whatever it is.”

Her brothers crowded her, all kneeling. Two seconds later, they all sported a very uneasy expression on their faces as their revealing eyes inspected the strange powder. The triplets gulped, but they didn't run and kept rooted to their place. Feeling a burst of pride swell through her chest, Susanoo silently ruffled Dai's hair.

“The composants of that powder—no, it's more like ash,” Hiroki started, feeling as faint as his siblings. “I don't believe this...”

Sasuke nodded grimly. “No doubt about it. Our mysterious man is using some weird ash made out of human remains, since they can ignite easily. Tatsuo will be able to confirm this, so we should take some samples for him.” Fishing out a test tube from his pouch, the shinobi scooped some of the ash to put it inside. “Whoever made that ash must have some serious issues. To use it against a rookie of the Special Fire Force?”

“He and Kusakabe played around for some time before he blew up this floor, which meant that he must have used a lot of it to damage the entire structure,” Susanoo said, standing up with her arms folded in her sleeves. “He used it to cover his tracks, so that no one from the Fire Force can follow him. He's got nice tricks up his sleeves; he's definitely not some ordinary person and must be a powerful Third Gen to manage to ignite this ash.”

The triplets sighed in tandem and scrunched up their adorable faces, recoiling from the deadly ash, then threw their hands up in the air in utter frustration.

“_What's his deal, any way?!_” they whisper-yelled in unison, their wide eyes.

The twins shared a silent look, then made the same exasperated face as they scowled at their younger brothers.

“We don't know yet, so stay sharp,” Sasuke and Susanoo quipped.

The older twin stood up and surveyed the scene. “But we can track him down easily: tracks can be covered easily if you're careful and paranoid, but not auras. And we Matsumoto have a very keen perception to auras that is unmatched. I'd love to hunt down that guy and make him spill his motives, but that's not our mission.”

“That's right: _you're_ our priority, big sister,” Hiroki chimed, tackling a surprised Susanoo. He looked up at her with a wide, goofy grin. “Can we now get out of this dump and go back to Asakusa?”

Susanoo raised a confused brow at his hopeful and starry gaze. “Did you already forget that I'm supposed to be spending two days off with Karim?”

“Yeah, but he really doesn't care,” Daichi grumbled as he walked around them to wrap an arm around his sister's neck, smirking at her. “To be honest, me neither. That priest could go to hell for a minute as we're here to invade your space until further notice. Besides, I bet his captain will fuck up his plans with you because the games have been interrupted by our mysterious guest.”

_That_ got Susanoo to gape at her brothers, who merely smirked evilly at her. Even her precious twin, who shook his head at her with his arms crossed. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes and she began to stammer, her excitation of finally getting to spend two days with Karim shattering into pieces.

“You've got to be kidding me, this isn't happening.” Susanoo shook her head.

“That's what you get for going out with a lieutenant from another Company, sis,” Dai snarked with his tongue out like Kali, his eyes bright and crinkling. “You should be aware that your boyfriend is a busy Fire Officer from the 'elite' Fire Force Company 1 and I'm amazed he hasn't decided to call it quits with you because he doesn't have time. Now let's go, I'm hungry as hell.”

* * *

After wrapping up in the incinerated building, the Matsumoto siblings all vanished from the zone and ran back to Asakusa District. All of them, even the kunoichi who'd just seen her day going to shit and up in flames. Since Susanoo was now moping and too pissed off to have been robbed of the chance at spending two well-deserved days with Karim, Sasuke had taken to giving her a piggy-back ride back to the guardhouse with a bright smile on his face. The triplets were also ecstatic.

The cause? They'd been right: Captain Burns had managed to fuck up her plans by asking a report and demanding to have his subordinates investigating and finding clues as to what happened. Karim told her so in a text and Susanoo knew he was just as pissed as she was, because he didn't know how long it would take him to finish all this.

“You sure you don't want to break up with him?” Dai asked her teasingly as they reached Asakusa. “You do have conflicting schedules, with him being a priest and you being from the 7th...”

Susanoo gave him a thunderous look and launched herself at him, only to be caught mid-flight by Hiroki, who tightened his hold on her with his trademark goofy grin. Groaning in frustration, she crossed her arms and legs and pouted, slapping on her best _'leave me alone and just fuck yourself sideways'_ face to anyone who was brave enough to ask her what was wrong.

Dai chuckled and shrugged innocently. “Sure, sure, big sis...”

When they reached the guardhouse, the siblings were mobbed by Hinata and Hikage, who were beyond happy to see Susanoo back. Though she'd wanted to remain pissed, the ever cheerful smiles and expressions of the twins still managed to ease her anger and she felt herself melt into a smile, especially when the girls tackled her on the floor of the living-room and babbled nonsense in her ears. Her arms slipped beneath their legs to pick them both up, with the twins latching up on her neck from behind. She conversed with them eagerly as she strolled towards her bedroom, seeing as Konro had already started cooking.

Fine. If she couldn't have an evening with Karim for the time being, there was always the 7th. And her brothers. And...

“Waka, Aoba came back!” the twins chorused happily, lifting their hands in the air. “She's not going away to her boyfriend!”

Susanoo froze entirely. _Shit_. _Double shit_. How could she forget about what happened this morning? She'd been so ecstatic to finally have some free time with her boyfriend that she believed she wouldn't have to worry about what happened with her captain. When she looked up, Tic-Tac-Toe pink eyes found her Ying Yang mismatched gaze and she took a big breath to calm her nerves. Even if she wanted to, Susanoo couldn't look away—he had her trapped.

He casually leaned against her doorway, his arms folded in his sleeves.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Benimaru casually said. “Girls, do you mind giving us a moment? Aoba and I need to have a chat.”

_Triple shit_.


	5. ...there's questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mind blanks. To what end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey :)! Welcome back for another chapter, with drama unfolding. Thanks for those who are sticking with this story!

V: … _there's questions_

* * *

This was a first—Matsumoto Susanoo dreaded talking to her best friend and captain, Shinmon Benimaru, about the 'incident' that happened this morning before she left (fled). It wasn't as if they'd kissed or they'd even thought about it, but the 'incident' she and Benimaru had both seen in their minds had felt so... _real_. The intimacy between the two of them had made their souls thrum in confusing anguish and Susanoo hadn't known how to answer her best friend's question. She'd tried to tiptoe around it all day with Karim and that had worked so far. The two days off should have been perfect for the couple to be alone without having to take care of work, but the interruption at the Rookie Fire Soldier Games had fucked up her plans to avoid her captain. _Now I'm trapped_, Susanoo thought as she reluctantly hugged Hinata and Hikage, kissed their foreheads, then let them run out while they verbally expressed their discontent at being interrupted.

Benimaru slid the shōgi door shut with an air of finality that almost made her twitch. Tic-Tac-Toe pink eyes stared at Yin Yang mismatched eyes with such scrutiny and intensity that Susanoo directly felt the probing; as Matsumoto couldn't lie to anyone, it was natural of them to tell the truth whenever they were asked something or when they were looking for, but this time... for her to hold no answer to that vision left the kunoichi at a complete loss. She sighed and passed a frustrated hand in her hair, eyes closed.

“I can't do this right now, I'm too pissed,” Susanoo grumbled.

“_Can't_ or _won't_? Knowing you, maybe both,” Benimaru drawled as he padded towards her. He plopped down next to Susanoo against the window and made himself comfortable. “But there's no way in hell I'd let _that_ go, whatever it is. It's been a pretty tame day, so I've been thinking about it and all I got was a damn headache that threatened to make me pass out. I need answers, Susanoo. _We_ need answers.”

Her eyes opened and she snapped them angrily at Benimaru. “What if I don't want them?” she challenged, a sharp edge to her voice. “What if I'm perfectly fine without answers that might turn my balance upside down and strain my relationship with my boyfriend? I'm not about to let that happen, Beni.”

His own eyes hardened as he stared back, setting his jaws. “Running away again? Don't be fucking selfish. Don't do that, because deep down, I _know_ you're just as curious as I am and you want to understand what your mind is trying to tell you; what we saw, the emotions we both felt—it felt too real to be an illusion. And the infamous 'Revealing Eyes' of the Matsumoto unravel the truth from every lie, so there's no way in hell that vision could have been a trick.” He scowled. “This is just not your specialty.”

Benimaru leaned in and caught Susanoo's arm when she tried to jump away from him and jerked her back against him. She caught herself just in time before she crashed into his arms and snarled with an irritated scowl. The best friends glared at each other, unaware of how the tension grew thick and heavy with danger around them. Undeterred, the captain slammed his forehead into the kunoichi's and grabbed both wrists to steady her the second she tried to block his chi with her deadly fingers. He held her hands tightly, using his superior strength to prevent his lieutenant from attempting an escape.

“I know you value your romantic relationship with this guy but can you _please_ stop fucking thinking about that damn priest and focus on both of _us_ for a sec?” Benimaru ground out, boring his burning eyes into Susanoo's. “Right now, Flam Karim doesn't belong in the conversation so I don't see why he should be your priority. That vision can't have been a random thing, that just doesn't exist. Not with you. And those headaches... I don't get it. There's something missing, don't you think?”

“Then don't try to think any more of it. A _vision_ is just a _vision_, Beni. Nothing more, nothing meaningful if we don't even know it's real. For all we know, we could just have been dreaming.” She shook her head, closing her eyes. “Yes, maybe it's just that... a dream.”

Benimaru stared at her, dumbstruck.

“Do you even hear yourself, Susanoo? Have you become that self-centered after you got with that priest that you'd even refuse to acknowledge the possibility of having lost something... whatever the hell that vision actually was? _Since when?_” he demanded roughly, his eyes ablaze with fury. “Don't sink into denial just because it might put a strain on your fucking relationship with this guy and it suits you best.”

At Benimaru's bitching about Karim, Susanoo's own eyes glowed and were alight with fury and she bared her teeth at him. He twitched, dumbfounded. When had she started doing that?

“It was. Just. A dream,” she growled at him. “We hallucinated and there's no way we'd even think to go there. You and me? Us together? W-We swore to... to...”

“Who are you trying to convince? Me? Because it's not working.” Benimaru shook his head at her, then pushed his forehead against hers more gently this time. “You can't lie to me, Aoba, and you can't lie to yourself. You're always compelled to tell the truth because of your abilities—you know it. Deep down, you know that something isn't right with us and I want to know why this happened now when you're in love with this damn priest. And what's more, you have a bond with Flam Karim, so what the hell is going on between us?”

Susanoo had a rant more than prepared whenever Benimaru would bitch about Karim, but held her tongue for some reason she couldn't even understand. Her scowl softened and her eyes slowly widened in utter confusion and she just stared at him numbly, too shocked to even talk back. Her body stopped resisting in Benimaru's hold and grew lax, just as she was willing her brain into zen mode so she could have this conversation with her captain and best friend. _Calm down_, Susanoo willed herself with her eyes closed and her face turned away from her captain's searching gaze. For what is worth, Benimaru only wanted balance between them so that nothing could put a strain on their friendship.

Because that's was he was, right? Shinmon Benimaru had always been her best friend and twin since they pretty much grew up together—both at the Matsumoto compound and in Asakusa, where they became what they were today, thanks to their role models. _Right?_

“I... no, _what_...,” Susanoo stammered with a stunned expression. “_What?_”

Benimaru watched her like a hawk, an unusual expression of uneasiness on his face. She was struggling to remember, he could tell. Just like he was. The memories were there, real and precious, but _something_ was fucking missing. Seeing Susanoo so freaked out put him on edge as well, which he didn't like. Her eyes were wide, the Yin Yang symbol spinning wildly without showing signs of stopping. She was trembling in his hold right now and couldn't calm down, so he squeezed her hands in an attempt to help. It was affecting him too, as his aura was deeply disturbed and all over and he just couldn't know why. He and Susanoo weren't...

A vibrating sound suddenly echoed in the room, surprising the two best friends, and both turned towards her desk, where her smartphone was. The screen was lit and showed the ID, causing Benimaru to scowl when he recognised the name. _What good timing he has_, he thought with a snarl.

“Karim must be worried about me, since he can feel my emotions through the bond,” Susanoo said in a low voice as she tried to get away from Benimaru, but groaned when she was yanked back. She ground her teeth, anguished and pained, and slammed her forehead against her captain's shoulder. “Damn it, my head hurts so much...”

Benimaru cupped the nape of her neck in a gentle, yet protective grip. “Stop thinking about _him_ and focus on _us_, Aoba,” he nearly growled.

“But I _am!_” she almost cried out in his shoulder, clinging to his haori. “That's why it hurts!”

She would have fallen to her knees if it weren't for Benimaru, who engulfed her in his arms and brought her to lie on her fūton as carefully as possible. Tic-Tac-Toe pink eyes stared at the trembling form of the kunoichi, wide in disbelief and anguish. Needless to say, the captain was at a loss right now: Susanoo had started to sweat, her eyes so unfocused and lost, and was grabbing her head in silent horror. Her aura was so disturbed and affecting his in a way he couldn't understand, so much that he couldn't keep calm. He tried to cover her hands on her head with his, but they were also trembling, to his astonishment. _The hell?_ Benimaru thought as he stared at his hands with wide eyes. He sat back on his knees, unable to look away.

Shinmon Benimaru wasn't one to panic, but 'feeling' Susanoo's anguish and pain at not being able to at least try to place that vision in her memories was troubling. He might not have extraordinary sensory senses like the Matsumotos, but he always somehow 'knew' whenever she was upset and needed to be comforted—like that time she came back to Asakusa after visiting Amaterasu. It was almost on instinct, a small internal tug at his soul that told him that his lieutenant's mind was imbalanced because it disturbed him as well.

Benimaru blinked, frowning. “Feeling... when did I start _'feeling'_ your emotions?” he asked no one in particular.

“When did I... When did _I_...,” Susanoo stammered on her words.

She slowly raised her distraught eyes to her captain with a gulp, her arms falling limp on her fūton. The look on her face was just too troubling to ignore, but Benimaru wasn't faring any better.

“When did I start _calling_ _you_ 'big brother'?” Susanoo murmured, horrified.

Silence met her question, since he didn't have any proper answer to that. Well, he did have one that sounded right in his mind, but Benimaru had a gut feeling that he wouldn't agree with or believe his own statement if he'd said it out loud. His soul thrummed again, expressing the discontent from earlier with much more force and his head pounded again, the headache now coming back in full force—so much that they both groaned in pain and abruptly turned away from each other, distraught.

Those two questions kept echoing in their minds, full of mysteries and other questions they needed answers to. Ever since that vision happened, Benimaru had tried to place it in his memories he shared with Susanoo; there were countless, precious memories he had with the lovely Matsumoto, but never one in which he was _that_ close to her. The vision showed him flying her around with his matoi, her hair was noticeably shorter with locks covering the left side of her face, but that tender kiss he pressed on her shoulder showed that the Benimaru and the Susanoo from that vision were intimate. Probably a couple. And a very happy one at that too, if he remembered the strong and passionate emotions he'd felt from the vision.

But still... the question she asked still remained unanswered because it sounded so disturbing. When had Susanoo indeed start calling him 'big brother'? From what Benimaru remembered, the only ones she called big brother were Aoshi and Sasuke, and he just happened to have been born the same day as the twins. Matsumoto Susanoo had never called Shinmon Benimaru 'big brother' once, that he was sure of. It just... didn't sound right in his mind and his soul agreed with a cold hum. And when the hell had he started feeling _her_ emotions? The more the captain tried to remember, the more his head hurt and his vision was getting blurry. Benimaru growled low and set his jaws, gripping his pounding head.

“_Say, Maru...”_

“_Yeah?”_

Both Benimaru and Susanoo stilled. Those young voices sounded so familiar to them that they momentarily forgot their headaches to listen almost avidly.

“_Those girls in Asakusa have major crushes on you, they're so jealous I can actually feel it from this spot and it's grating. Why don't you pick one so I can finally—huh?”_

“_Don't.”_

_There was so much authority in that word that a stunned silence stretched between the two friends, until Benimaru spoke again. In a much calmer voice._

“_You should know by now that ever since 'that' happened between us, I won't let anyone else in. So those girls can go to hell for all I care. There's only one girl I'm concerned about and she's getting an awesome irezumi on her back and arms that will take years to finish.”_

_There was a sigh. Then a chuckle._

“_That much, huh?”_

“_Yeah.”_

The pounding headache finally got unbearable and their eyes rolled to the back of their heads. Susanoo, who had tried to get to her phone, collapsed with a strangled gasp on the tatami with a heavy thud and promptly passed out. Before Benimaru lost consciousness, he replayed the scene in his mind. How it sounded so... familiar. To him, at the very least.

_Maru_. Susanoo called him Maru. For some reason, it made him feel warm inside and his soul was buzzing. It would have made him smile to hear his best friend call him by this particular nickname.

* * *

When Benimaru groggily opened his eyes, he was greeted with some faces obscuring the ceiling. Though his sight was blurry, he still managed to make out the worried expressions of Konro, Hinata and Hikage... and a Matsumoto who wasn't here this morning. Benimaru scowled when he recognised the eldest brother—probably the one he disliked the most out of Susanoo's six brothers. None of the siblings that had invaded Asakusa had such an irritating foxy expression and a half mohawk for hair.

The twins beamed at him. “Waka!” they chorused in relief and happiness.

“Aoshi? The hell are you doing here?” Benimaru groaned tiredly.

“Glad you didn't forget my name, Shinmon. I would have been surprised if you did,” the shinobi drawled annoyingly and leaned back on his knees with a withering glare. “Now that you're awake, you can tell us what the hell happened with you and my little sister.”

That jolted Benimaru into a sitting position, despite the pain from his headache, and he looked around the room wildy before he caught sight of Dai, Daichi and Hiroki kneeling and crowding another fūton a little behind him. _Damn it, Aoba_, he thought with a painful expression he didn't let anyone see very often. Standing in the doorway of the bathroom, Sasuke was on the phone and speaking in hush tones, his serious eyes trailed on his sister. No matter how serious he looked, Benimaru could notice the worry in that mismatched gaze. Sasuke and Susanoo made one hell of a pair together and they always did everything as brother and sister. Just like him and her.

_Wait_ . Somehow, it came out wrong in his mind. Really wrong, especially since he knew that Sasuke and Susanoo would _never_ go down that road (unless the damn Matsumoto elders tried something shady to ensure the bloodline's legacy). Groaning in annoyance and pain, he facepalmed and passed a frustrated hand in his hair.

“Waka,” Konro said sombrely, grabbing his shoulder to appease him. “The hell happened? We heard you two arguing for a while, which put us all on edge. Then the next thing we knew, we found you both passed out.”

“Yeah, that's pretty screwed up!” Hikage exclaimed with a concerned expression, flinging her arms around Benimaru's neck. “We don't like it when you're fighting!”

“And that has never happened before, so it's weird!” Hinata agreed with a furious nod, casting her worried golden eyes towards the Matsumotos. “I don't want Blue-Blue to be so angry and sad...”

Yeah, Benimaru had to admit that it didn't make sense for him and Susanoo to argue that much. The last time they had such a serious argument was about the possibility of her getting hitched with a clan member and starting popping out babies to ensure the damn clan's legacy. He'd been so furious and just as scared to lose Susanoo that he really would have gone to the compound to burn it to the ground and use the Crimson Moon on the council. He clicked his tongue, rubbing his eyes.

“Early this morning, before Aoba left for the Rookie Fire Soldier Games, we shared... a vision,” he told everyone who was awake. “Or something like that.”

Konro looked hesitant. “A _'vision'_, you say? Since when do you have those? Are you sure it wasn't something else, Waka?”

“_I know what I saw!_” the captain snapped at him, only to sigh and shake his head. “And Aoba saw it too, which led to this argument between us; the content of that vision felt so real that she doesn't want to consider the possibility of it being a forgotten memory. Or a stolen one.”

That got the attention of every Matsumoto, who then gathered around him with heavy frowns. Even Sasuke, who had taken to glaring at him earlier and was now just as curious and eager to learn more about his twin's mental state. Aoshi, being the born leader and the overprotective older sibling he was, took the initiative to ask the questions; his Yin Yang eyes hardened in an unnerving blank stare—the one every Matsumoto could give whenever they'd judge someone with their Revealing Eyes—, immediately mimicked by his younger siblings, and he crossed his tattooed arms under his black haori.

“All right, let's restart from the beginning. Benimaru, tell us exactly what happened and describe the visions as best as you can. Even the words you heard, everything can be a clue to figure out what this is.”

Benimaru eyed Aoshi with an angry snarl for a few seconds, already annoyed that he was being ordered around in his town and in his own home. But since it concerned Susanoo and he wanted to know if she was going to be okay, he relented. So he told everyone what happened from this morning to up until they both passed out, not emitting a single detail. He even described himself and Susanoo in the first vision, mentioned how short her hair was, how younger she looked and described the emotions they both felt—screw the denial his lieutenant wanted to soak herself in, he _knew_ she felt those emotions just like he did. The joy, the peaceful atmosphere between them... it had been real. The brothers, their eyes glowing through his long explanation, had the same expression of muted disbelief on their identical faces and couldn't look away from him, very much like Konro, Hinata and Hikage.

When Benimaru mentioned how warm and happy it made him feel on the inside when she called him 'Maru', that was when the brothers had a reaction similar to his: their eyes went wide and dazed at the same time, the Yin Yang symbol spinning. The captain immediately frowned and waited eagerly. Finally, finally, he might get some answers as to what that vision could mean.

“What's wrong with their eyes?” Hinata trilled her question, edging closer to Konro while her twin hid behind Benimaru's shoulder. “It's like when Blue-Blue uses them to judge someone's soul and determine if they're good or evil.”

“That's not the only use their eyes possess,” Benimaru rasped as he stared at each brother with thinly-veiled impatience. “The Revealing Eyes of the Matsumoto can store the most precious memories in the minds of their owners when they unravel the truth about people they consider as friends. Since I've been around them most of my life, what I just told you can only be the truth and not a lie. It _has_ to be a memory that has been stolen from both of us.”

Behind him, Konro pressed a hand over his mouth, horrified. If what Benimaru was saying was indeed true and could be confirmed by the brothers, then it would explain a lot of things he'd been wondering for a long time. Because during those years he spent with Benimaru and Susanoo, he'd seen a lot happen between those two, which had been extraordinary to observe, and when everything ended with the kunoichi hitting it off with a priest from Company 1, Konro couldn't believe it.

Aoshi was the first one to come back to reality and he abruptly shook his head, holding it with a painful grunt. His brothers soon followed, holding their bowed heads with painful expressions.

“So?” Benimaru pressed impatiently, grabbing Aoshi by his collar. “Am I lying?”

The eldest sibling stared at him with an unusual expression of astonishment for a few seconds, before he slowly shook his head. Benimaru leaned back with a dumbfounded expression, speechless.

“You're telling the truth: it _is_ a memory,” he said in a bated breath, his tone disbelieving. He slapped Benimaru's hand from his collar and leaned back with a gulp. “A lost one at that, which is a case I have never seen. You're not lying at all, Benimaru—and I don't understand. Sasuke? Triple three? Can you confirm?”

“Y-Yeah,” Sasuke groaned, forcing his eyes open. He gazed at the captain with a heavy frown. “Definitely. I can confirm that it's not an hallucination or something like that, it's a real memory that has been triggered through the use of a word Susanoo hasn't said in a long time.”

He looked back towards his twin, mimicked by everyone else. Susanoo was still asleep, now breathing peacefully.

“Susa used to call you _Maru_, Beni,” he murmured. “Because it was... a nickname she chose for you and that was the only one you wanted her to call you by. No one else called you like this. But in the first vision, I feel like I've witnessed it; you... gave Susa a _matoi_ ride for the first time, that's a memory your mind couldn't have forgotten because...” He frowned and held his head with both hands, groaning in pain. “Why the hell does my head hurt so much?!”

Aoshi put a reassuring hand on both Sasuke's and Dai's heads, his expression grim and so serious that Benimaru already dreaded what he was about to hear. A Matsumoto who couldn't tell the truth was one thing, but a Matsumoto who couldn't understand what the hell was going on in a situation he was the most suited to explain? _Damn, even Sasuke is affected_, he thought angrily, setting his jaws. The captain had so many reasons to believe that whatever was about to come out of Aoshi's mouth would be fucked up.

“Aoshi,” Benimaru growled. “Spill it!”

The eldest sibling glanced back at him with a murderous glare that sent chills down everyone's spines. “Someone has messed with Susanoo's mind, which in turn, messed with Sasuke's because they share a special bond as twins, messed with the triplets' and mine's because we're all siblings,” he said coldly, barely hanging on his own fury. “From the looks of it, your mind has been affected as well, Benimaru.”

The statement had the effect of a bomb dropped on the brigade members of Company 7, who gaped at Matsumoto Aoshi in horror and disbelief. Hinata and Hikage, though they didn't really understand what he meant, were still the first to freak out and both rushed to hide Susanoo with their arms, as if they could shield her from everything. They babbled that no one would take their Blue-Blue away as long as they (meaning Waka, Konro and themselves) were there to protect her. That statement would have made anyone smile if the situation hadn't been that critical; Sasuke himself looked in shock, his eyes and expression blank and staring into space. But Benimaru?

He looked downright _pissed_. His Tic-Tac-Toe eyes were glowing, showing the burning anger he could barely control himself, which affected the flames inside the lanterns outside. Snatching the collar of Aoshi's haori, Benimaru brought him forward to be face-to-face with him—not that it did anything to intimidate the older shinobi, who glared down at the captain with a furious gaze of his own.

“_Who?!_ Explain yourself, Matsumoto!” he hissed.

The shinobi shrugged him off with a snarl. “Not with Susanoo here, I don't want to trouble her any further!” Aoshi hissed back in a low voice. “Let's go somewhere else. Sasuke, Dai, Daichi and Hiroki, take her out of Asakusa and get her to Flam Karim as agreed. He's waiting for you. She needs to clear her mind first and right now, they need each other,” he ordered his younger brothers in a stern tone, never breaking eye contact with the irate Benimaru.

Sasuke, who took a huge breath to calm his nerves, nodded serenely at his elder's words. “Yeah,” he said before jumping to his feet, along with the triplets.

“What? No, you're not taking Blue-Blue away from us!” Hinata murmured franctically, lying protectively on Susanoo's legs.

“Yeah, she's staying!” Hikage whispered defensively, lying on Susanoo's middle.

“Are you serious? What's the matter, Susanoo's fine here!” Benimaru hissed furiously as he stood up as well.

He was stopped by Aoshi, who blocked his way and view of Susanoo with his body. “No, she's _not_ ,” he countered coldly. “ In fact, after uncovering this, I think my sister needs to be far away from the compound and Asakusa altogether for some time until we've found out the source of those missing memories. Yes, plural, because that _matoi_ ride and the one where she called you by a forgotten nickname can't be the only memories we're missing,” he said to Benimaru and Konro's surprised faces.

Hiroki, who had slung Susanoo's bag with her stuff on his shoulder, turned back towards his eldest brother. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“I mean that someone has done something to erase memories from our minds. Whoever has done it had a purpose. Take Susa out of here, I need to talk seriously with Benimaru and Konro about this situation. I'll fill you in when you come back.”

“Come back from where?”

All eyes flew to Susanoo, who was now blinking at them sleepily. She rose to a sitting position with a tired groan, leaving Hinata and Hikage with no choice but to fling their arms round her neck with defiant expressions. The Fire Soldier, still groggy, frowned when she saw all these people in the room—along with her eldest brother.

“W-What's going on? When did you get here, Aoshi?” she asked, sounding lost.

The shinobi knelt beside her and grasped her head with a sombre look. “Something outrageous has happened to all of us, little sister,” he said, downcast. “And I believe the clan is involved. I'm not entirely sure yet, but we need to get you out of Asakusa and away from the compound.”

Susanoo jolted, all traces of sleep eclipsed from her face, and she gave everyone a weird look. “Are you kidding? I know I haven't been back at the compound for a while, but to send me away from Asakusa?” she exclaimed, disbelief lacing her tone. Then she scowled in defiance, tossing her blankets aside, and carefully stood up to grab her brother's haori. “Has the council finally gone insane?”

“More than likely,” Aoshi answered with an identical scowl, unperturbed by his sister's outburst. “Listen well: what you and Benimaru saw and heard weren't hallucinations, but lost memories that may have been tampered with. I don't have any concrete proof yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of our clansmen has decided to further their hidden agenda. Our minds have been messed with.”

Susanoo gaped at him, her eyes wide and incredulous. Then she slowly recoiled, her expression growing anguished and horrified as she slowly shook her head.

“H-How?” she croaked, distraught. “How did they even do that? This doesn't make any sense at all...”

Konro sighed, resigned. “Waka.”

Benimaru rounded on him, furious. “What? You agree with him?” he spat incredulously.

Grinding his teeth, the older man grasped his captain by the shoulders to face him and bore his serious gaze into the infuriated Tic-Tac-Toe eyes.

“It looks like there's a conspiracy _within_ the Matsumoto compound and Ryū himself might not even be aware that his own children are the victims of a plot. For all we know, it might even be a coup. Against who? I don't know, but if the culprits went as far as using Susanoo and her siblings as pawns in their plans, then it must be for something big.” He shook his head, looking as sombre as the siblings. “Something they must have been planning for a while in the shadows, while there's already someone who's most probably creating Infernals, and they don't seem to care for the consequences.”

Benimaru looked like he was about to argue some more, but thought about it, and seemed to give up by storming out of Susanoo's bedroom. He slid the shōgi door shut very loudly to show how upset he was at the moment, which meant that he won't even let Hinata and Hikage hang around him. The kunoichi sighed sorrowly and winced, following his troubled aura until he was out of the guardhouse. Benimaru was angry, frustrated and though he clearly didn't like that plan, he knew he had no choice. Not after what Aoshi might be advancing. And what he was suggesting was almost terrifying and disgusting.

“It looks like our era of neutrality has come to an end, and not for the right reasons,” Sasuke grumbled before looping an arm around Susanoo's neck. He looked down at her with an apologetic gaze. “Like we said, we don't think you're safe here and until we've managed to find the source of those missing memories and those blanks, you should avoid both Asakusa and the compound. Two days with your man should do it.”

At the mention of spending those two days with Karim, Susanoo slowly relaxed and leaned into her twin's touch with a conflicted expression. “I hate this... if the council is involved, shouldn't Father and Uncle be informed? Because this could lead to war within the clan.”

All the Matsumoto tensed and winced with a pinched expression, their eyes closed. All of them, even the triplets, knew what it probably meant. As far as the history of the Matsumoto went, the elders of the council had always been up to no good whenever it concerned their legacy—each member had an agenda and each tried to be cunning and sneaky when pulling their strings around the current Head. So if one of them was indeed staging something big, there had to be targets of importance and many accomplices.

But how could one deceive the Revealing Eyes of the Matsumoto? During her training, Susanoo had never heard or read about a technique that could fool her Yin Yang eyes for God knows how long. Should there be liars within the clan that were attempting to do something that could bring them more misfortune and doom, then they needed to be ruled out. And fast. And since she and her brothers were the victims, they needed to find their allies. _Damn, more blood will be spilled for the wrong reasons_, Susanoo thought with a frustrated sigh as she knelt to hug Hinata and Hikage. The twins latched themselves around her and hid their faces in her neck with a whine, clearly upset.

“I'll be back in two days, girls, okay?” she murmured to their ears, kissing their heads fondly. “Try not to give Konro and Waka too much trouble.”

“Come back soon, Aoba!” the two chorused, pouting.

Susanoo smiled sweetly at the twins. “Soon,” she promised. “Now, do me a favour and go to bed.”

“No!”

“Yes, you're going. Otherwise, I won't come back with any sweets from Shinjuku for you two. That would be a shame if I were to give them to someone else...,” Susanoo trailed off with an insolent, innocent expression.

Golden eyes gleamed and Hinata and Hikage smiled wide at her, happily trilling good night to everyone before shuffling out of the bedroom and straight to the bathroom. Konro sighed in relief, along with the brothers. He then ruffled Susanoo's hair fondly, much like her father used to do when she was younger.

“I feel like things are going to be a bit dull and tense without you around for the next two days,” he grumbled unhappily. “That and Waka is going to be in a foul mood until you come back, so make sure to go see him before leaving. I hate seeing the two of you fighting, as this is something that has never happened before.” His dark eyes bore into all the Matsumoto with such seriousness that they all straightened up. “Whatever _this_ is—deal with this quickly so that balance can be restored. Because if Benimaru decides to take matters into his hands, there will be blood and violence. Maybe victims.”

“That's why we need to separate you and your captain for a while, Susa,” Aoshi reiterated, giving his young sister a sharp look. “Go say goodbye and come meet us at the gates of Asakusa. Don't get caught up. Got it?”

Like she had any choice in the matter. Though the idea of spending those two deserved days with her boyfriend made her feel happy, it still meant leaving Benimaru behind for forty-eight hours without getting the answers they were both looking for.

Susanoo dashed out.

* * *

She didn't have to search all of Asakusa to find Benimaru, he was exactly where she thought she'd find him—on the bridge, leaning back against the wood railing with his eyes staring back at the sky. His aura was still as troubled and burning as earlier when he stormed out, so the anger was still brewing. Any word that came out wrong would make him snap and the kunoichi would have to calm him down. And having to say goodbye for now was going to put both of them on edge until they were reunited. _I still don't know or understand why_, she thought with a heavy frown.

Crossing her arms beneath her haori, Susanoo strolled to join him on the bridge. Her captain didn't turn or acknowledged her presence, but he wasn't rejecting her at all—which was a start. Usually, he'd rebuff anyone trying to tempt him into drinking (that was Kantaro's job, after all) or gambling, but not her. Benimaru would always get her, go to her or let her find him so he could calm down. It was as if the two... tempered each other so easily that they were a pair. A perfect one. And that thought was scary.

But what was even more infuriating and scarier was the fact that if Aoshi turned out to be right, then Susanoo would want nothing more than forsake the clan. As if being one of the 'gold mines' wasn't enough, now they also had to mess with her mind to further their mysterious goals. This was _blatant_ _treason_. She snarled at the thought. Had the council decided that their own clansmen were still nothing more than their own puppets? Had they learnt nothing from the massacre that occurred centuries ago and that nearly wiped out their bloodline? Because by doing this to her, her brothers and Benimaru, they might as well just commit _seppuku_ or they'd get slaughtered the Matsumoto way by her father and uncle. Using the children of the clan head as pawns was the highest form of treason ever, and Susanoo's mother will probably go berserk and tear apart the ones responsible herself if one ever uttered the idea of using Fuyubi for their needs. The walls of the compound would be painted red if they ever used his name in one of their hushed conversations.

All in all, that would just cause a civil war within the clan and the symbol of unity they'd desperately tried to hang onto would be destroyed because a few old geezers had been greedy. Though the goal was still unknown, treason was treason and the only way out was death by the hands of their own. Benimaru, as furious and vengeful as he was at the moment, would want a crack at them first and Susanoo felt the burning need to oblige him. To give him what he wanted, because his spirit had to at peace once more. The Matsumotos, though they were the last shinobi clan alive to this day, had to be punished this time.

Susanoo was absolutely _disgusted_ with her clan.

With a tired sigh, Susanoo crossed her elbows and leaned on the railing, her visible eye staring at the peaceful water. She only waited a short while before he spoke, his voice tight and neutral at best.

“If the council is indeed involved in our fucked up situation, they need to pay. In _blood_. I don't care if you're against me doing that, but—”

“Captain Shinmon,” Susanoo interrupted him coldly, but just as respectfully. “Please wait for me to come back to have them judged and properly taken care of. Not just your way, but the Matsumoto way. As my brother just stated, this might be a plan to stage something big and we're merely pawns in their plan. We lost a lot due to their shenanigans and this can't be overlooked. First and foremost, the truth is our goal. We can kill the culprits _after_ we got the whole truth out of their mouths and then, only then, they die. Your way and ours,” she promised, turning so she can stand in salute.

Finally, Benimaru stood up to face her and bore his furious gaze into hers. The frown and the promise of death she saw into his eyes made him look fearsome and terrifying, but Susanoo stood her ground. She'd seen worse. And that aura of dominance felt so familiar to her that it grounded her to her spot, made her want to bend her neck to her captain and... _something_. Benimaru's aura was strong and powerful, but not suffocating to her. It was almost calling to her. Like Karim's always did, but the calling was much stronger.

Stepping into her personal space, Benimaru stopped just inches away from Susanoo and stared her down. She merely stared back, straight and waiting for his orders.

“Two days,” he declared coldly. “Come back in two days and we'll deal with them, no delay. I'm not taking any complaints, Susanoo. If you don't come back by yourself, I _will_ come to get you myself. Whatever the council has taken from us, we'll get it back. All the memories. Everything needs to make sense again between us or I'll get your brothers and uncle to commit homicide at the compound. Understood?”

The kunoichi straightened and lightly bowed her head to her captain without breaking eye contact.

“Yes, sir!” she responded in a strong voice.

Their souls thrummed again, spreading a strange warmth through their bodies. Susanoo shuddered and exhaled softly, her eyes half-closed, and Benimaru's glowed intensely. This phenomenon had happened many times with Karim, with her boyfriend assuming and asserting his position as the dominant one between the two the first weeks following the creation of their bond. But why the hell was it happening with Benimaru, her best friend? He was right, nothing made sense any more. Would their memories actually hold the key to their questions? If so, then Karim might suffer from this and this would break Susanoo's heart and mind, should their bond suffer from it.

Benimaru's arm shot out and he wrapped it around her neck to pull her flush against him. She didn't resist and wrapped her own arms around him too, burying her face into his chest with a sigh. The familiar smell of sweets—daifuku from the old bat—tickled her nose and she breathed it in. For a moment, she felt safe in his arms. Just like with Karim.

“They should have been killed ages ago, because it seems like they haven't learnt from your history and their bloodlust has come crawling out,” Benimaru whispered in her ear. “Messing with our minds, stealing memories... once the truth is out, they pay with their blood. This is a war they've started with Shinmon Benimaru.”

“Trust me on this, regret must be the last thing on their minds as they had no qualms messing with our minds to erase countless memories to further their plan,” Susanoo said sombrely. “This is treason and there won't be a trial for this—an execution in front of the clansmen will be held to shame the families of the culprits. No _seppuku_ either, as they've completely dishonoured themselves. There's no saving them. We'll unearth the truth and bury them all in their blood.”

“One after the other,” they both vowed.

Benimaru weaved his fingers through her hair, settling his chin on top of her head.

“Come back, okay? Now that we have an idea to explain what the hell is going on between us, there's no running away. We can corner them in their own lies, as there's no way they can't tell the truth—unless they've found a way to counter the Revealing Eyes.” He growled, the sound rumbling through his chest and strangely echoing within Susanoo's soul. “Of all the female Matsumotos, they chose _you_ to mess with. Why? Is it because you decided to avoid that fucked up fate of being one of their 'gold mines'?”

Susanoo gulped.

“That might be punishment for refusing to be chained. If not, then...,” she trailed off.

“Then... then _what_, Aoba?”

No. They couldn't have done what she thought they did—that would be the death of them. And that would make her snap. Horror filled her to the brim and she couldn't help the strangled gasp that escaped her throat, getting her captain's attention, but she gritted her teeth as her eyes flashed in restrained fury. Her killing intent flared up, wild and ominous, while her mind swirled with theories and mad thoughts. Though she'd been so ecstatic that her bond with Karim was genuine and gave her balance in her world, her confidence was starting to crumble.

_What if... what if there was something deeper? _Susanoo really hated 'what-ifs', as they only served to plant doubts in her mind while she should be confident about her feelings and relationship with Karim. Because her love for him was genuine and pure, so was his for her. So what the hell? Why 'doubts' about the Matsumoto doing something even dirtier made her want to kill something?

Warm hands cupped her cheeks and she found herself focusing on those intense Tic-Tac-Toe eyes, which were asking so many questions at once.

“There's more, isn't it?” he asked in a whisper. “You think there's more and it's killing you to be in the dark and have doubts. Makes me want to go to the compound and torture those bastards to hell until they talk...” He had to take a huge breath before he managed to regain some sense of control, his eyes losing a bit of their heat. “But not now. We need concrete evidence and I intend to dig up everything with your brothers to get to the truth. Susa...”

He needed to calm her down, right now. Having Susanoo in an unstable state of mind was bad news and it greatly disturbed him, now that he was aware that he'd started feeling her emotions for mysterious reasons. Cupping the nape of her neck, Benimaru coaxed her closer until she had her face tucked in his neck. He hugged her tight with his other arm, patiently waiting until she'd stopped trembling. Though he had an idea as to what was troubling his lieutenant this much, the captain wanted confirmation that she hadn't been forced into anything that would give him valid reasons to execute the old elders of the Matsumoto council.

It took her a while, but she eventually relaxed in his hold with a shuddering sigh. The killing intent dissipated in the air, her eyes stopped flashing and she slumped against him.

“Calm down, Aoba. We'll get them all. They want to play God with us? Well, they screwed up big time as we'll fuck them up in one fell swoop and have our life back. You're not theirs to play with, they need to understand that before dying.” With one last stroke in her hair, he released his lieutenant to gaze down at her. “I'll see you in two days.” Then he flicked her forehead, making her groan, before raising his eyes to Sasuke, who stood behind her. “We're good.”

The familiar touch of her twin brother on her shoulder appeased her, and she nodded as well with a much more placid expression that still showed her sadness to leave everyone behind for a while. Two days being left out of the investigation within the clan? That was going to set her on edge, which would put Karim on edge himself.

Nonetheless, she squeezed Benimaru's hand back when he took hers, then walked past him with a deep sigh and an exhausted look. There was so much she needed to say to someone. And that someone was one she was in love with.

_Karim_. She needed her boyfriend's warmth and presence right now, as the priest was her alpha.

* * *

_Tokyo._

The Matsumoto siblings silently slid in front of a quaint, welcoming house in a very peaceful neighbourhood. Susanoo, having led everyone to Karim's older brother's house, gracefully climbed the stairs to knock on the door when it opened to her boyfriend. Seeing him in his civilian clothes—a midnight blue shirt with short sleeves, dark pants and his headphones around his neck—still managed to steal her breath and make her heart beat for him. Susanoo wasted no time in tackling him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

Though Karim was surprised by her behaviour, he still returned the kiss deeply and hugged her tight. Possessively. When they parted, he looked down at her and studied her downcast expression. Downcast and grim didn't belong in the same sentence with her name, which put him on edge. He looked back at her brothers, who sported the same look—Karim quickly noticed that a fifth one had joined the group, who was none other than the eldest, judging by the half mohawk.

“That bad, huh?” he growled, his hold on Susanoo tightening.

Aoshi, who'd been observing them in silence with a blank look, nodded at him with a sigh. Sasuke scowled while the triplets exchanged uneasy looks. The eldest drew closer to his only sister and put a protective hand on top of her head. She frowned a little, but made no comment otherwise.

“Not only do we have more information to exchange, but there's serious trouble within the clan. Can we come inside?” Aoshi asked, his Yin Yang eyes boring into Karim's dark gaze. “This isn't the kind of information we can share on the threshold of a house while your female neighbour is ogling us from her window across the street.”

Susanoo's brow twitched, her eyes flashed in annoyance and she had to hold off an angry frown on her pouty lips, ripping her bag off Hiroki's shoulder with a frustrated groan before storming past Karim. She toed her boots off, then directly went upstairs before anyone could tell her to calm down. The priest stared after her, at a loss, before looking back at the brothers with a question at the tip of his tongue, but thought twice about it before allowing them to come in. Aoshi nodded grimly at him without a word while Sasuke and the triplets gave him a small smile and a thank you. Out of curiosity, Karim checked across the street and sure enough, a pair of bright green eyes could be seen from the second window on the second floor. It swiftly disappeared when the girl noticed the dark eyes narrowing at her.

_Damn gossiper_. She'd done the same thing the few times Susanoo had come here for sleepovers. Snorting, he closed the door and joined the brothers. Though he'd finally met Sasuke and the triplets earlier at the Rookie Fire Soldier Games, Karim didn't know what to think of this situation at all with the older brother being here as well. His emotions were a bit all over the place because of Susanoo's upset mental state, making him a bit on edge right now, and he really didn't need that. His woman had to calm down for the time being, until her siblings were gone.

“Wow, that house sure looks nice!” Dai, Daichi and Hiroki exclaimed as one, whistling.

“Yeah, it's even better than the compound,” Sasuke agreed. “There's so much warmth in here, we can practically see why Susa loves coming here with you... your brother has taste, lieutenant Flam.”

Huh. That certainly was... nice of them? The priest hoped they couldn't see how surprised and shocked he was at hearing the compliment. Surely their compound must be ten thousand times more luxurious than his brother's house?

“Karim. And thanks. I'll go make some tea while your sister is probably changing or... something,” he trailed off uneasily. “Make yourself comfortable, don't just stand there like idiots.”

Snorts from the brothers, but none of them really sounded amused. The Matsumoto brothers were all standing in the big living-room, studying their new surroundings with light frown on their identical faces—minus Aoshi, who was leaning against the wall leading to the kitchen with his arms crossed and a pensive expression. Karim took quick notice of the tattoos adorning his forearms, which seemed to have the same designs as Susanoo's and Sasuke's, but with different colours (Susanoo had blue, Sasuke had green and Aoshi had chosen purple. All shades of purple). _Interesting_, he thought as he went to pour some tea for everyone.

But something else had caught his eye. They looked... out of place. The triplets looked skittish while Sasuke kept glancing up towards the stairs, probably wishing he could join Susanoo. As if they didn't belong here at all, because their presence in his brother's home would raise suspicion; having his girlfriend here from time to time was strange enough the first times, but six Matsumotos? People in the neighbourhood would come crawling with cameras and their phones just to have proof that they've seen one member of the last shinobi clan. Karim didn't need that. Susanoo had first been hesitant to sleep over at his brother's home while he wasn't there, as it took some coaxing and reassuring, and she'd been cautious when coming here.

His girlfriend shuffled back downstairs, sporting the most amazing resting bitch expression Karim had ever seen on her face. She was wearing one of his T-Shirt, which dwarfed her but gave him a very nice view of her perfect legs and her tattooed arms, and most of her long hair was tied into a messy bun on top of her head. Susanoo joined in the kitchen and hugged him with a grumble, burying her face into his chest. Karim wanted to smirk at her antics, but merely wrapped an arm around her neck and the other around her waist to offer comfort. She needed it.

“Before we get to unpleasant business, let's discuss another unpleasant one: wanna tell me what the fuck happened this evening while the tea is brewing?” he said out loud to every Matsumoto in the vincinity.

Susanoo flinched against him. Her brothers visibly tensed. Karim blinked and raised a questioning brow at them all. Aoshi was the one who spoke in a neutral voice, concealing any emotion he was actually feeling.

“We're experiencing serious lapses in our memory, which led us to believe that someone has purposely messed with Susanoo's mind. What's more alarming is that Captain Shinmon has also lost some of his memories concerning our sister. I believe there's a connection to this, but I'm not certain of anything just yet. It all affected in a way we can't remember missing memories, unless we try triggering them. And if we try too hard, we pass out. Which is what happened to Susanoo and Captain Shinmon.”

Karim gaped in shock, not believing his ears. He looked down at Susanoo, who was leaning back against the counter, and she nodded. _So that's why I was feeling so faint earlier_, he thought, still in disbelief. She looked so lost, anguished and angry at the same time that he felt the urgent need to coddle and comfort her as best as he could—his arm shot out to catch her hip and pull her to him, then wrapped itself around her waist possessively. Susanoo didn't protest and rest her head against his chest again, scowling in irritation and barely concealed anger. This action didn't go unnoticed by the triplets, who blinked twice at them in wonder before refocusing.

“Explain yourself!” Karim snarled to Aoshi.

The eldest Matsumoto pushed himself off the wall to sit at the table.

“That's the thing—we don't know _how_, _why_ or _who_. We can only make suppositions and that's why Sasuke called from Susanoo's phone to say that we're bringing her to you for the two days you'd originally planned to spend together. But we can tell you this.” Aoshi made eye contact with Karim, his own fury mirrorred in those dark eyes. “It's definitely someone from the clan. Someone who has influence—probably from the council itself.”

“Which is why I might not be safe in Asakusa for the time being,” Susanoo growled, clearly upset. She took the tray with the cups of tea and strolled to the table to place it there, followed by Karim. “Whoever has messed with my mind has also touched my captain's memories, but what we don't understand is the purpose behind this. I understand that I've upset the council by joining Beni in Asakusa and, after the Great Hell that destroyed our town, joined Company 7 to remain with them, but this is... they've gone too far.”

Karim sat down heavily and pulled Susanoo on his lap, embracing his kunoichi. She melt into him, not resisting his touch. With her in his arms, he felt like he could protect her against anything. But from her own clan? Just how much did he not know and how many secrets were they still zealously keeping?

“I feel like there's still a lot you're not telling me: why would joining Company 7 under Captain Benimaru Shinmon be an issue? Is your clan _that_ spiteful towards the Special Fire Force and the Tokyo Empire that they'd literally punish a clan member for taking action and thinking for herself?” Karim couldn't believe it. “Stealing memories to the point you'd have blanks... why the hell would they do that to one of their own?!”

Several Yin Yang eyes gazed at him blankly, silently waging what to tell the young priest.

“There could be several reasons and we need to evaluate them all one by one,” Sasuke said as he took his own steaming cup of tea. Then he sat down next to Aoshi, boring his eyes into Karim's. “But know this, lieutenant Flam: we may be clan members, but that has never stopped the elders from the council to play God with us just to further their own interests. They did centuries ago, they're still doing it today. They're all out for themselves, like rabid wolves chasing after the rarest prey. In fact, one of the reasons might be because Susanoo is doing the opposite of what a 'gold mine' of the Matsumoto should do.”

The priest was silent for a few minutes, digesting all that. He'd read something about a council of elderly people from the clan that took decisions concerning matters that could potentially benefit them, from deciding what to do with their own family members. So a bunch of old geezers thought they could use brats from the clan to accomplish their goals? And they messed with his girlfriend's mind for some unknown purpose? This was disgusting and mad.

But something Sasuke said about Susanoo caught his interest.

Karim blinked. “'Doing the opposite of what a gold mine of the Matsumoto should do'? What the hell does that mean?” he asked them, but gazed at Susanoo for an answer. He frowned when she ground her jaws and her eyes flashed, a spike of anger surging through his soul. “What's a 'gold mine'?”

Susanoo gazed at him through angry Yin Yang eyes, then looked at everyone else for a minute. Upon seeing that she was now able to talk freely, she took a huge breath to brace herself, then exhaled with a conflicted expression Karim really grew to despise.

“A 'gold mine' is the duty of every female Matsumoto has to carry since birth. One the Elders say I'm obliged to accept as this is the 'fate' I'm viciously opposed to get. Quick history lesson, shall we? The Matsumoto clan is essentially composed of men, it's always been this way for as long as I can remember and it's still the case to this day. Very few women are born and when there's one, the clan would cherish her to death—and when I say 'cherish', it means many things: protect her against everything, respect her... be possessive as well. You'd think this doesn't sound as bad as we make it seem, but it actually grew worse when the clan finally got punished for generations of bloodshed and crimes.”

“The massacre that got your bloodline nearly wiped out for good,” Karim whispered, his hands clutching Susanoo's hip and leg. “Yeah, I read all that during my time in the Academy. Most of the Matsumoto were slaughtered in an attack launched by the Holy Sol Temple, only leaving just a couple of your ancestors alive. Must have been traumatic...”

Susanoo nodded grimly, taking a sip of her tea before continuing. “It really was to the clan head at that time. Not only was it traumatic, but it also nurtured our clan's deep hatred for your religion; the Revealing Eyes are our pride and glory, since they can unravel the truth from anything and anyone, so losing such powerful ability would be disastrous. Maybe that's why we're still alive... who knows? Nonetheless, the near loss of the clan was what changed the fate of every female born to the Matsumoto.” Her grip on her cup of tea tightened just a little. “That was also when Matsumoto Shinichi, the clan head at that time, decided that we would _change_. That we would humble ourselves to the point we'd stray from the path of blood and death to become... human. And so, we fell into an era of neutrality; the clan wouldn't meddle into the affairs of the Holy Sol, despite the mutual hatred, and we'd stay alive with an ill-reputation. Which leads me to the core of the problem: one of the few survivors was a woman... all the others were male, if you count the clan head.”

She turned towards her boyfriend, boring her bright eyes into his.

“It has been decided, by the words of Matsumoto Shinichi, that every female born to the clan—and I say 'every female' who's a purebred Matsumoto—would serve one purpose only: to be a 'gold mine' to the clan. To be married to a male Matsumoto and bear his children in hopes of giving birth to another girl, so the cycle can continue. So the newly born girl would await a future already written down for, and once she's of marrying age, she's bonded with a male who's her match. A female Matsumoto _always_ has a male Matsumoto as a match. Has been this way for as long as I can remember. Since a girl from the clan is submissive and has now been regarded as a child bearer, her match becomes her 'alpha', the only male she responds to and is loyal to.” She gulped loudly. “But she is who and what she is for the rest of her life: a gold mine that can keep the bloodline alive and thriving as long as she can give birth to girls. Love and choice are not even to be considered, so never mind trying to find someone outside of the clan. Every female is destined to be chained to the Matsumoto forever. Be it a brother, a cousin—as long as he's a Matsumoto.”

Susanoo exhaled, lowering her gaze into her tea.

“And this, love, is the fate I'm thoroughly trying to avoid. Have been ever since I decided to write down my own destiny by joining Beni in Asakusa years ago, thus estranging myself from the clan. Looks like the council has had enough and is now trying to steer me back into the fold _by any means necessary_.”

* * *

The silence they all fell into was defeaning in his ears. Or it seemed like his brain had gone so blank that he couldn't hear what everyone must be saying right now, because he was just too stunned by what Susanoo had just revealed. He was aware that he was staring wide-eyed at her, astonished, but he'd gone blank as well. He really couldn't... fuck. The priest didn't have to turn towards her brothers to confirm if she was telling the truth—none of them could lie. They were all compelled to tell the truth if he did so much as ask.

_Fuck_. Karim had expected _anything_, absolutely anything from this clan of murderers the second he decided to go out with Susanoo and create a bond with her, but this? _I can't believe this_, he thought with a snarl as he passed an agitated hand in his mohawk. This was so fucked up on so many levels he didn't even know where to start bitching; the brainwashing attempt on his girlfriend and her siblings already made him livid, but to give Susanoo up to a clan relative so she could pop out more Matsumoto babies without having a choice in the matter? Just how sick were they all? No wonder she estranged herself, at least she had the guts to do so, but for the council to still try and coerce her back into the fold by stealing her memories was totally nuts.

To think that his girlfriend was going through so much and had been fighting this hellish situation even before she met him in Shinjuku... Karim felt sick to his stomach. He didn't really react when Susanoo wrapped her arms around his neck and gently pushed her forehead against his.

“Frost? Please don't torture yourself over my predicament, it's pointless,” she begged him, stroking his cheeks to get his attention. He slowly looked up at her, his dark eyes now glinting in brewing fury. Her expression was too serene for him. “Now you know a huge part of what I intended to tell you after the Rookie Fire Soldier Games, and we'll discuss things if you wish to. But are you willing to listen about my brothers' investigation?”

She was trying to soothe him, much like earlier at the games, because he was starting to get very angry and he'd explode. Susanoo meant well and Karim was grateful, but what she'd just revealed was too much to not be unnerved at. Nonetheless, he actually had to calm his nerves if he was going to hear the rest. So, after taking many breaths, he nodded at the Matsumoto siblings. Aoshi sent him something akin to a condescendent look while the younger siblings looked sympathetic.

“I can't believe you're taking this a teensy bit better than Beni did, that gloomy bastard was practically breathing fire when we got to the conclusion that our minds have been messed with,” Sasuke said, blinking at Karim.

Karim turned his glowing eyes at him. “Believe me, if I could freeze your whole clan in one fell swoop and leave them to suffocate inside their icebergs, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'd even help Captain Shinmon if he lit those old geezers on fire.”

Sasuke and Susanoo exchanged a glance, Aoshi merely looked expressionless while the triplets blinked three times at him. Karim felt the need to explain himself, which was ridiculous.

“I knew your clan to be barbaric from what the books tell about the history of the Matsumoto, as your bloodlust turns you mad beasts the second you'd stare at death... but _this_? You literally oblige the women of your own family to be nothing more than breeding cows just to make sure the bloodline won't be extinct!” He scowled at them all, his arm tightening around Susanoo possessively. “That's disgusting! And plain barbaric! You just steal their future away!”

The anger in his voice was difficult to ignore, since the subject touched his girlfriend and the bond he had with her was threatened. It hit the brothers so much that they all recoiled a little from his slight outburst. The triplets flinched and looked away in shame, Sasuke's eyes flashed and Aoshi's hands twitched on the table for a minute before he relaxed with a sigh.

“True. All this is true. Father and Uncle are trying to have the tradition abolished, since we're no longer on the brink of extinction,” Aoshi chimed, his eyes drawn to the table. “The council is relentless but now that we know we're probably pawns in some plot most probably hatched by one of them, measures will be taken and the tradition will certainly see its end. Whoever has messed with our minds will seal the doom of every clan member who's agreed to do such thing. Treason is treason and using the children of the clan head as pawns to carry out a plan means war against him.”

His eyes glowed. As a result, blue flames licked the skin of the left side of his face and swirled around to completely cover it. Intricate designs appeared on the half mask. Then, a bloodthirsty smile slowly curved his lips as the air became heavy with the weight of his bloodlust.

“Worry not about the type of punishment, Lieutenant Flam: there _will_ be blood spilled and death knocking.”

The words were said with such sweet delight that Karim didn't need to hide the chill that ran down his spine as Aoshi sighed once more to deactivate his Ignition Ability. There was promise in his words, as if the shinobi would love to dirty his hands to obtain justice, and the priest couldn't get them out of his head. 'There will be blood spilled and death knocking.'. It was almost poetic.

A silence stretched between them, uncomfortable and uneasy, until Susanoo cleared her throat.

“Didn't you guys have something to share with Karim?” she asked as lightly as possible, taking a sip of her tea to occupy her hands. “Something regarding the bug you found?”

“A 'bug'?” Karim repeated, looking alternatively between his kunoichi and her siblings. “Wait, you found one too?”

“_You too?_” all the Matsumoto siblings echoed loudly, looking at him in surprise.

* * *

After listening carefully what the brothers had to say, Karim had a massive headache pounding and he was scowling so much that he feared his face would be stuck this way for a while. He was also so pissed and disgusted that he was shaking all over in horror.

“These 'white clads' you've captured and 'interrogated' have been using those damn bugs to turn people into Infernals? Are you sure of it?” he asked in a rasped voice.

Aoshi nodded, looking sombre. “No doubt about it. Our cousin Tatsuo has studied the ones we've brought him by reading their energy and their composition. Those things aren't normal bugs; they contain a spark of the legendary Adolla Burst, the very flame that destroyed this world, and would ignite inside people once inserted.”

Karim exhaled loudly, his hand gripping Susanoo's.

“Why? Why are they doing this?”

“The goons we tortured revealed that they're looking for people possessing the Adolla Burst for their master—a certain 'Evangelist'. Yeah, don't know who the shit it could be but that's what they said and that was the truth,” Sasuke supplied with a scowl. “For what purpose? We don't really know, except that they said that their Evangelist and your blasted Sun God are the only truth they'd follow and give their life for. This is all for the 'pilot light', or something along those lines.”

The priest had to cut in. He looked pale as a ghost. “Had a weird case roughly two months ago, when a group of kids turned Infernals all at once. I knew, I just _knew_ it couldn't be natural,” he revealed, his voice faint and weak. “It was just too weird. That's where I found the bug in a vial, left behind at the scene... I've never been at a scene like this. Those poor kids...”

He had to stop talking, because he felt sick again and his stomach turned as if he was going to vomit. Karim's mind was spinning, assaulted by so many thoughts. All those kids who'd died because some maniacs dressed in white were looking for the goddamn Adolla Burst for some mysterious purpose... this was just horrible. Unholy. And the Holy Sol had no fucking clue as to what was actually happening in the Tokyo Empire because they didn't even know where and how to look. And Rekka...

Goddammit. _Rekka_. The bastard was involved in this, he knew that for sure. His 'friend' had been around the area when disposing of the Infernals, as Huo Yan's group had been in another part of Shinjuku at the time of the horrible incident. Karim had found the insect on the ground, which had intrigued him at first, but now that he knew the role of those things, he couldn't help the furious disgust and anguish he felt towards Rekka's actions and motivation. How the fuck could he have fallen so low to use his position as a priest to do such unholy thing? So many people looked up to him as an idol and Karim valued his friendship with him, no matter how much the exuberant bastard annoyed him. Tamaki was in love with him because of his charisma and he'd been taking advantage of the fact that she'd do anything to please him just to... to...

“I-I... I need to breathe,” Karim announced hoarsely, motioning for Susanoo to get up.

Catching his drift, she jumped on her feet to let him go and he all but ran towards the kitchen to release the contents of his stomach in the sink. Susanoo gasped in shock, feeling all his emotions through the bond, and coughed. Overrun by his emotions, the priest collapsed on his knees to cough as well.

“Karim, please calm down!” the triplets chorused in an exclamation, running to help him up when he didn't get back up while Aoshi and Sasuke surrounded Susanoo.

The Fire Soldier wrenched himself from their hold, shook his head and wiped his mouth with a rag before leaning on the sink with a shuddering breath. The triplets all gulped, exchanging uneasy glances, then returned their eyes on him as Hiroki put a tentative hand on his shoulder.

“This is hard to accept, but... this is what we've sensed from Hoshimiya Rekka when we took a good look at him: his soul is ugly and tainted, no longer pure. Maybe he's been like this forever because he'd been groomed to be a white clad for all he can remember, or maybe he became one when approached by one of the Evangelist's goons.” The hand on his shoulder tightened in a supportive squeeze. “All we know is that if he suspects you, he _will_ kill you and Lieutenant Huo Yan Li. There's no way he's never considered that option, meaning that your friendship must have been fake for quite some time. He's _gone_, Karim. The Hoshimiya Rekka you know may have never existed...”

“That's enough. Boys, please leave,” Susanoo's voice cut in sharply.

“But—”

“Hiroki. Please.”

_Thank you, Leaf_. There was a firm conviction in her voice that relieved him a little, but it wasn't enough to alleviate the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. Karim heard resigned sighs from the brothers, words of encouragement and support exchanged, before they all silently filtered out. Only the sound of the door opening and closing signaled their exit, which Karim was grateful for. And now, he needed the silence and Susanoo's presence. Only these two things.

Two arms slipped around his waist and hugged him tentatively from behind. He felt soft and full curves against the muscles of his back and his girlfriend burying her face into his shirt with such tenderness that he exhaled loudly, grinding his teeth almost painfully. She didn't talk, made no move, just hugged him from behind until he turned in her arms and engulfed her in a tight embrace. Karim buried his face in her neck and closed his eyes shut, thus preventing the tears from falling, but they both slid to the ground as he couldn't even stand. Susanoo never let go of him, hugged him just as tight and weaved her fingers through his mohawk.

“I'm here, Karim,” she whispered for him—only for him. “As I told you: you have me.”


End file.
